The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
LAST week Sunday Leisure carried a piece on Highlanders striker Knox Mutizwa and his quest to own a house.
Mutizwa, the leading Castle Lager Premier Soccer League top goal scorer with 11 goals has his contract with Highlanders coming to an end at the end of this year. He declared that any club that wanted his services must fulfil his dream of owning a house that would also accommodate his mother and siblings.
For Chicken Inn striker Michelle Katsvairo playing football has fulfilled some of the aspirations Mutizwa is yearning for.
Through handsome signing on fees when he joined then big spending FC Platinum, Katsvairo managed to secure a stand where he went on to build a house in Harare’s medium density suburb of Budiriro. During his time in Zvishavane, he also bought himself a car.
While Katsvairo stays in rented lodging in Bulawayo’s low density suburb of Paddonhurst, his house in Harare is occupied by tenants, a scenario that makes him a landlord and a tenant at the same time.
“When I signed for FC Platinum, I bought a stand in Budiriro and build a six roomed house. I have never stayed in the house, I put tenant. I will start staying there in December this year,’’ said Katsvairo.
Born on 4 May 1990 in Mutoko, Katsvairo grew up in Harare’s high density suburb of Mbare then later moved to Budiriro.
His career took off at Lord Malvern where he started playing for the Marc Duvillard’s famed Aces Academy from the time he was in Form Two.
Katsvairo, a striker who has been used on the left and right side of attack, moved to Gunners in the middle of the 2011 season, his PSL debut coming against Caps United at Lafarge Stadium when he was introduced as a substitute for Leonard Fiyado.
His first ever PSL goal was against Dynamos that same season in a 3-1 loss at Lafarge and from there, the then coach Moses Chunga started selecting him in the starting line up.
He scored seven goals for Gunners and his exploits at Gunners did not go unnoticed as FC Platinum coach Rahman Gumbo came calling at the end of the 2011 season.
Katsvairo spent three fruitful seasons at the Zvishavane based club where he finished as the leading goal scorer in 2012 and 2013. During those two seasons he also won the most disciplined player of the year award.
He was part of the FC Platinum team which lifted a number of trophies locally which included the Bob 88 and Bob 89 Super Cup, the Independence Trophy twice in 2012 as well as 2014, the 2014 Chibuku Super Cup and last year’s Zimbabwe National Army Commander’s Charities Shield.
He was also part of the Kugona Kunenge Kudada team that participated in the 2012 Caf Champions League, and was subsequently knocked out in the first round by Sudanese side Al-Merreikh.
Sadly, Katsvairo was told at the conclusion of last season that his services were no longer required at FC Platinum. He headed off to Harare and while there a number of clubs were interested in signing him, a call from Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas convinced him to come to Bulawayo in March this year.
“I was offloaded by FC Platinum at the end of last year; it was really painful for me because I had that team at heart. I accepted that it was God’s will. I got a call from Antipas, the coach knew me from the time I was at Aces Academy so I decided he was the best in that he knew my position,’’ Katsvairo said.
His PSL debut for the Gamecocks came during their first match of the season at Luveve Stadium in which they beat Flame Lily 2-1. Katsvairo did not take time to settle down with his first goal in Chicken Inn colours scored in the second half of that match.
Katsvairo hit top form for the log leaders in August with five goals scored in that month alone, three in the league and two in the Chibuku Super Cup quarter-finals which saw him deservedly being voted as the Castle Lager player of the month for that month. He was presented with his accolade before the start of their epic battle against Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium last Sunday, a match the defending champions won 1-0. It was the first time that he had ever won any award at national level.
Despite last Sunday’s setback, Katsvairo believes that Chicken Inn will hold to win their first ever championship title come end of the season.
On what has been the key to the team’s success this season, Katsvairo attributed their fine run to hard work and prayer.
A member of the Apostolic Faith Ministries, Katsvairo revealed that he prays before and after every match. Together with his teammates he also attends prayers at the Family of God Church in the Bulawayo city centre prior to heading off to camp, something that was started by the club’s late coach Adam Ndlovu in 2012.
Katsvairo has settled well in the country’s second largest city where he describes the people as being friendly.
