The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
LIFE is never easy for most boys growing up in the dormitory town of Chitungwiza.
Most of them come from average or poor families.
Frustrated by such a life, some turn to drugs, hoping to escape from their challenges. Others turn to a life of crime, while a few take education as their salvation.
Areas such as St Mary’s, Unit D and Unit H have their fair share of fraudsters, drug peddlers and hooligans.
However, these areas are oozing with massive football talent, most of which, sadly, falls through the cracks.
A few, like a small group of teenage footballers who train on a sandy pitch in the Mayambara area, still pin their hopes on football.
To them, the sport is the only gateway from poverty.
Thanks to the mentorship they get from their coach, Frost Dzangare, they keep pushing because they all have the same source of inspiration.
Soccer Star of the Year finalist and highly rated Highlanders midfielder Devine Mhindirira is their source of motivation.
Mhindirira was born and bred in Chitungwiza’s suburb of Zengeza 4 and is one of the several top players groomed by the unheralded Dzangare.
FC Platinum midfielder Innocent Mucheneka, former Harare City star Tatenda Tumba and the ZPC Kariba duo of Samuel Makawa and Wellington Taderera have also come through Dzangare’s nursery.
The Sunday Mail Sport caught up with the gaffer in Mayambara.
He recalled how Mhindirira rose from playing bare-footed to become one of the best footballers in Zimbabwe.
“Devine grew up just like any other boy in Chitungwiza. He loved playing street soccer – chikweshe, we called it back then.
“We spotted him there; he was about 10 or 11 and we introduced him to structured football,” Dzangare said.
“We now had a team called RAMA, which was also registered to play in the Harare junior league.
“We would also play inter-district games, which culminated in inter-provincial competitions. “It was at one of these inter-provincial games that Mhindirira was spotted and selected for the Under-15 VW Masters Tournament, which was played in Poland.
“That was the turning point of his career; he never looked back.”
Mhindirira then went on to play for Chitungwiza United and Bulawayo City before he was snapped up by Highlanders in 2019. He was also part of the national Under-20 side that reached the 2018 COSAFA Cup final in Zambia.
The Young Warriors lost 3-4 on penalties to South Africa.
He was voted the best midfielder at that tournament.
That Under-20 side was captained by Highlanders defender Andrew Mbeba and comprised the likes of Emmanuel Jalai, Shadreck Nyahwa, Delic Murimba, Tatenda Tumba, Tinotenda Muringai, Blessing “Gode” Nyamuzihwa, Leonard Jani, Clive Rupiya and goalkeeper Tinotenda Ali.
And now he has made it onto the prestigious Castle Soccer Stars calendar.
It means a lot for Dzangare and his current trainees, who are all dreaming of one day emulating the Bosso star.
“We are proud of Mhindirira because he passed through our hands.
“Mhindirira never had it easy, as you can see our team lacks a lot of basic training equipment.
“Right now, I have a group of players I am working with. They also want to reach the levels set by Devine,” he said.
“But we do not have sponsorship, our academy is not registered because we do not have the money and our boys do not have proper boots.
“So, Mhindirira has sort of become a role model for these boys. They know he was once like them.
“My hope is that he keeps shining at Highlanders and grab international attention.”
Mhindirira is still in Bulawayo preparing for the proposed Unity Day Cup match that will feature Highlanders and Dynamos.
But the 22-year-old star midfielder has plans to visit his former team and coach when he goes back to Chitungwiza for the Christmas holiday.
“I want to thank coach Frost Dzangare for his efforts. Kuti ndive pandiri (To be where I am today) it is because of him, no doubt about that,” revealed Mhindirira.
“We played bare-foot; it was difficult.
“Because of the shortage of jerseys and training equipment, some of us would also play without shirts, what we called skinning.
“After school, we would walk from Zengeza to Seke for our training sessions.
“We would play on empty stomachs, sometimes only water was available,” said the midfielder.
He attended Zengeza 4 Primary School before enrolling for his secondary education at Zengeza 4 High School.
His father died when he was still 12.
However, his mother wanted him to pursue academic studies, as she was convinced this was the only way her son could lead a decent life.
“I wanted to quit football, especially in 2014, because there was pressure at home. Mom wanted me to concentrate on school.
“But coach Dzangare kept pushing me and I followed his advice.”
Mhindirira was already one of the most sought-after junior talent by the time he was in Form Four.
Hwange even offered to pay fees for him when he was studying towards his Ordinary Level exams.
He eventually wrote the exams at Zengeza 4, but up to now he has not collected the results.
“It was now all about football because I had realised I could go far with this sport.
“I am happy I am on the 2022 Soccer Stars calendar; this is my first time. It makes it sweeter.”
Yet five years ago he was deemed not good enough to play for Chicken Inn.
“I went for trials at Chicken Inn. I did not make it because the technical team felt I was not good enough.
“But I have no hard feelings; it’s part of the football journey,” he said.
He returned to Chitungwiza United, who were playing in Division Two by then.
Darlington Dodo, who stays in the same neighbourhood with Mhindirira, was appointed coach at Bulawayo City in 2018 and another script was written in the footballer’s story.
It was Dodo who gave the midfielder his Premiership breakthrough.
Mhindirira played a season at Bulawayo City before Highlanders came knocking for his services in 2019.
“Credit also goes to Madinda Ndlovu, Mandla Mpofu and Bekithemba Ndlovu, who were coaches at Bosso then. “They gave me a rare opportunity, which I grabbed with both hands.”
It’s an opportunity that Mhindirira has fully exploited.
Not only is he one of the best players in the league today, he is also attracting interest from clubs in South Africa, Tanzania and from as far as Portugal. Dynamos are also reportedly angling for his signature. However, Mhindirira’s contract with Highlanders expires in June 2024.
Twitter: @LangtonGuraz
