The Sunday Mail
Makomborero Mutimukulu in CAIRO, EGYPT
OVER the past two weeks, Talent Chawapihwa has seen his nickname move from Salah to Marcelo and has also seen his Warriors stock firming, rising from being an used substitute to a first XI player.
The player who used to be known as a lad who had speed to burn but lacked a reserve tank as he seemed to always ran out of steam, is in the process of redefining himself. The Salah nickname came because of Chawapihwa’s Mohammed Salah like hairstyle and frankly speaking the winger did not like it.
“I don’t know where that came from and I am glad it’s gone,” he said. However, the Amazulu player has gladly welcomed the Marcelo moniker because it was placed on his forehead by coach Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa. Chidzambwa has also been a fan of Chawapihwa’s speed and skill but the lad’s lack of endurance worried the gaffer.
And in a bid to improve the player’s endurance levels the national team gaffer has of late been asking Chawapihwa to be a roving left full back – Marcelo like player – at training while deploying him as a winger in matches. It’s a cloning exercise that is still in its infancy but one that seems to be quickly bearing fruit. “It’s a new experience because I have always fancied myself as the player who eliminates defenders and not the player who is responsible with stopping tricky wingers,” said Chawapihwa’s ahead of tonight’s must-win clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The coach said playing me at left back will improve my endurance levels and true to his word my tank is not getting to empty as fast as it used to do.“I am not yet there but the truth is am happy with the way things have gone, playing such tournaments like the Afcon makes you appreciate the game better.
“Seeing Mo Salah on TV and playing against him are two different things, you only appreciate how good he really is when you see him in action from close quarters.”
As the Warriors ready themselves for a duel against all too familiar foes DRC, the 27-year old former Harare City and FC Platinum man is convinced that Zimbabwe’s Afcon dance will not end tonight.Chawapihwa points to the way the Warriors created chances against Uganda and the fire he is seeing in the eyes of skipper Knowledge Musona as “clear signs that we will win this one.”
“Yes we got a lot of flake for missing chances against Uganda but the good thing is we created them and if we do that against DRC I am sure we will put away a couple of them,” said Chawapihwa.Even with a seemingly out of form Musona leading the attack?
“My message to Zimbabwe is let us not pretend not to know what Knodgy (Musona) can do. He has done it over and over before and will continue doing it for us.“Yes he was not on point against Uganda but let’s not vent all our frustrations on him, he is still our main man. As a team we have been offering him support and I can see that the captain is determined to answer his critics in a big way.”
