The Sunday News
Fungai Muderere, Sports Reporter
SOUTH Africa’s Absa Premiership side Baroka FC are said to have been watching action videos of Highlanders midfield genius Simon Munawa, a player who has produced top drawer performances for Bosso this season.
Better known as Yola, Munawa told this publication he was made to send seven of his two-minutes long action videos to an agent linked to Baroka FC, a club established in 2007 and rose to prominence in 2011 by reaching the semi-final of the 2011 Nedbank Cup, defeating several Absa Premier Soccer League sides like Moroka Swallows and Kaizer Chiefs along the way.
“All I must say at the moment is that I am a Highlanders player and I’m still concentrating on the job at hand. However, without mentioning names I can confirm that I was personally contacted to send action videos that were being requested by Baroka FC,” said Munawa.
Spirited efforts to get a comment from Baroka FC officials drew a blank as their office phones went unanswered.
Munawa, a Nguboyenja-bred footie star who is endowed with good ball control, purposeful combative and creative play, is heavily tipped to be among the 2016 Soccer Stars of the Year finalists together with his teammates Peter Muduhwa, Rahman Kutsanzira and Prince Dube, FC Platinum trio of Winston Mhango, Petros Mhari and Kelvin Moyo, CAPS United’s Leonard Tsipa and Hwange’s Gift Mbweti among others.
Munawa can pack powerful shots and score spectacular goals.
The ones that quickly comes to mind trended on YouTube — a beautiful overhead kick at Barbourfields on September 17, 2015 and his wonder strike from outside the box that nestled at the top of the upright corner when Bosso beat Ngezi Platinum 2-1 at Emagumeni in a match that was broadcast live on Supersport.
Our sister paper Sunday Mail once wrote that more often than not, Munawa’s graft goes unnoticed. The publication further claimed he is the Paul Scholes of the Bosso starting XI — and like the retired Englishman, he has what it takes to decide the outcome of big matches.
Munawa has risen from a being ordinary boy from Nguboyenja high-density suburb into a midfield workhorse described by Bosso’s Dutch expatriate Erol Akbay as the best d-link player in the Premiership.
“Simon is a very good player, I am happy with him. He is a big game player, very influential. Because of his presence we can initiate some dangerous attacks. For me he is the best defensive linkman in the league today. The boy is also good at passing, very strong physically which makes up for his lack of speed,” Akbay was once quoted as saying
The 28-year-old Munawa is a grafting defensive linkman whose workman-like approach has been the foundation on which Highlanders’ 2016 transformation was built.
Munawa was brought to Bosso by Mkhuphali “Mr Cooper” Masuku in 2011, having played for the now defunct AmaZulu, Zimbabwe Saints, Underhill and Shooting Stars.
Two years shy of 30 years, he should be approaching the climax of his powers and the midfielder wanted to make the most of this season to earn a foreign deal come 2017.
“I think I have worked hard this season and we played well as a team. My goal was to play well and attract foreign interest so that I realise my dream which is to finish my career in the Absa Premiership and against all odds I think it can still be done,” he said.
@FungaiMuderere
