The Sunday Mail
Fatima Bulla Religious Affairs Editor —
NEWLY crowned champions, CAPS United last Wednesday paid homage to a local prophet for prophecies, prayers and teachings they received prior the match and said it contributed to their victory during the 2016 Premier Soccer League championships after an agonising 11-year barren spell, The Sunday Mail Religion has established.
Caps United’s assistant coach, Mark Mathe; manager Shakespeare Chinogwena; and medic Cleopas Mutubuki teamed up with Soccer Star of the Year finalists Leonard Tsipa and Simba Sithole to thank Prophet Tawanda Bondera for contributing to their individual transformations, which was critical in the Green Machine’s success in the just ended season.
Prophet Bondera is the founder of Grace Harvest Ministries located in the capital where most of the Caps United players are said to have found a home at the invitation of Mathe who joined the church last year.
In a sport dominated by acts related to use of juju, the players bring into the fray a different perspective to the story. The Sunday Mail Religion has attended various services at the church and a couple of the players have been regularly attending during the evening.
Among them, ageless forward and Golden Boot Award winner Leonard Tsipa noted that he immediately regained his goal scoring touch after assuming membership in the church.
Prior to his return to the Lloyd Chitembwe coached outfit, Tsipa had been hopping from one team to another, at one time resurfacing at the Green Machine in 2010 when he was to be fired for allegedly fanning dissent.
Enjoying a new lease of life which includes winning player of the months of September and October for the just ended season, Tsipa could not hide his joy.
“I want to thank the man of God, when I started coming to this church, things started falling into place.
“Three months back I didn’t come to church but my wife did. She was told that God is elevating your man. I wasn’t there but she told me at home. It gave me strength to keep playing. So on top of that I took the top goal scorer award,” the 34-year-old said.
He thanked Nhivi for being a faithful friend.
“Now I want to thank Simba because every time I played with him everything was easy for me. He used to encourage me saying that ‘many people say that you have grown old but age is just a number’.
“This motivated me while playing with him. He wasn’t jealous of me. I want to thank God for what he did for me,” Tsipa, who was accompanied by his wife Samantha, said.
Testifying of his experience, Nhivi said Prophet Bondera had prophesied that they would win the league title, including scoring in matches that included the 1-0 victory against Ngezi Platinum Stars.
“God is wonderful. When the man of God prophesied that we were going to win the league, I believed as well as my brother Leonard.
“We believed we would conquer, we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. So I want to thank God, it’s not by my power. All the glory belongs to God,” an emotional Nhivi said.
Last year, Nhivi’s bid to join Caps United hit a snag after the transfer window closed while Dynamos’ demands had been met.
“When I joined Caps I had a lot of problems. A lot of fall outs but then the manager introduced me to the man of God. I told the prophet everything, he prayed for me and told me that everything was going to be fine.
“I believed in his word and I just prayed. I kept coming here just to hear his teachings and this helped me. Everything that had happened before has never happened again.”
Responding to whether he believed that he would be the one to score in the final match against Chapungu as they received words of prophecy during the Wednesday service, Nhivi said, “Look I believed when you said it because you are a man of God. It’s all up to me. If I don’t believe it doesn’t happen. I just told myself I have to have faith, receive these words and just apply them and believe. And it happened.”
The Sunday Mail Religion attended the service in which Nhivi received the prophecy on his score.
“I see results, I see God has changed my life. ln just four and half months, I can’t even describe the things that have happened in my life. The love I have received from you (the prophet). The prayers for me, everything. I feel loved and with love you can do anything so I thank God on behalf of my team mates.
“I know some of them don’t come to church but it’s a process. God knows when they will come, I will pray for them,” said Nhivi.
Mathe, who is known for fasting before matches, said God will protect his job.
“Between me and you prophet, you know the devil is trying to steal my job. lt’s because of you that I am still at Caps. I won’t go into details but you know it’s because of your prayers. I am going to remain there for as long as I please. I have two testimonies. The first one is you didn’t segregate me (or) regionalise me. I am not from Harare or anywhere (from) Murehwa. You took me like I am your child and helped me.
“The other thing is prophet you tell them (congregants) to pray for us. If they don’t do it, it will be tough work. So they are doing it with their own hearts. I thank them for that.
Chinogwenya testified that the prophet had advised them to follow his instructions and success would follow.
“You said if we stick to your word, if we continue believing, we will do wonders. You said people will start talking about us, that we will be exceptional.
“We got the championship after 11 years. During that period we were believing in other useless things. You used to say guys go and train well, go and perform well, go and work for this thing so that my prayers will also contribute much. So thank you,” Chinogwenya said.
Before the Ngezi Platinum Stars game, Chinogwenya highlighted that they had used anointing oil at the stadium.
“I remember when we were actually having our lunch it was around 11.15am. You phoned us (as) I was with Simba. You told me that ‘guys look, if you are there can you dash here and get anointed oil and dash to the stadium and anoint the posts. When Leonard came in we shared the message and with doctor Cleopas, we rushed to the stadium to do as you had said. We got it right.
Medic Cleopas Mutubuki thanked Mathe for inviting them to church. While there has been debate over the role of faith in sport, the Green Machine’s coach Lloyd Chitembwe concurred with his players.
“Faith and blessing precedes work. I agree with the players, the Christian faith helped us win the league,” Chitembwe said.
