The Sunday Mail
THE sports picture of the week was probably that of a young boy wearing a tattered shirt inscribed “Mupasiri 7” on the back as he met his hero, Farai Mupasiri, after Shabanie Mine’s 0-2 loss to FC Platinum at Mandava.
That Kodak moment is the source of inspiration for Mupasiri ahead of Shabanie Mine’s Chibuku Super Cup semi-final soccer match against How Mine at Barbourfields this afternoon.
Bulawayo City host fellow municipal side Harare City in the other semi, to complete a rare Chibuku Cup double header at Emagumeni.
But the Mandava moment – which reminded the football world of the Afghan boy who became an online hit after wearing a homemade “shirt” bearing Lionel Messi’s famous number 10 – has kept the local football fraternity talking.
Five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi from Afghanistan got a signed Argentina jersey from Messi, and Tongai Dube of Zvishavane will also enjoy some luxuries from the Mupasiri family.
“That was a touching moment and as a family we are going to look after that child. We will take care of his school fees, spruce him up and make his dreams come true,” Mupasiri’s mother, Agnes, told The Sunday Mail Sport yesterday.
Information gathered by this publication shows the boy is a Grade Six pupil at Boromokwa Primary School and is a resident of Mandava.
“I love this game a lot and that is why I follow my boys wherever they play. It is that same love that has pushed us as a family to take care of this boy,” said Agnes Mupasiri.
Shabanie Mine face How Mine in a Chibuku Super Cup semi-final match with fond memories of 2013 when they bagged the BancABC Super8 Cup at the expense of rivals FC Platinum.
The monetary benefits, to a club reeling financially, are the driving force behind Bvaru Bvaru’s quest for glory.
Also, Shabanie Mine coach Takesure Chiragwi wants to be knwon as the man who led the Zvishavane side into the Caf Confederations Cup.
“Apart from representing the country in Africa, the monetary benefits of the cup are a driving force for the team and hence we are geared for the match,” said the 34-year-old coach Chiragwi.
“But at the end of the day we have to balance the two – winning the cup and fighting relegation. It’s not easy for us as a team to be playing such a number of games within a short period of time, and if you look at the situation now it’s a bit tricky as we have to continue with the good run in the tournament while also there is need for us to fight for survival in the league.”
In the other match, Harare City will be hoping to sustain their dominance in the Chibuku Super Cup, a tournament in which they have reached the last four since its reintroduction in 2014.
They face a Bulawayo City side whose strike force is spearheaded by the underrated Ishmael Wadi.
