The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
A day after conceding four goals against Dynamos in 50 minutes, crashing against the goal post which collapsed forcing the abandonment of the game six minutes later, Chapungu goalkeeper Talbert Shumba received a Warriors call-up.
The big goalkeeper, who weighs 81kg with a height of 1.82m, is one of the three keepers in Sunday Chidzambwa’s 20-man squad already in South Africa for this year’s Cosafa Castle Cup.
George Chigova and Ngezi Platinum’s Takabva Mawaya are the other keepers.
Shumba has become popular, albeit for bizarre reasons, and by the time the Warriors departed for the regional tourney last Friday morning, the 27-year-old goalie had earned a new nickname in camp.
They now call him “Mr Goalpost”.
The “goal post” incident has thrown the Premier Soccer League into a quandary as they do not have provisions in their regulations to deal with such a peculiar occurrence.
That match ended prematurely with Dynamos leading 4-0 thanks to a brace by Emmanuel Mandiranga and one apiece from Denver Mukamba and Cameroonian import Christian Joel Epoupa.
League officials are yet to announce the verdict.
“It’s funny how these guys come up with these nicknames, it was a strange incident but I guess it has also brought my name to the fore,” Shumba said with a chuckle.
The former FC Platinum sub keeper was not at liberty to talk much about the “goal post incident” but confirmed that he did not incur any injury from the mishap.
Shumba hit the upright post in an attempt to clear the ball and efforts to fix the collapsed goal came to naught forcing the match commissioner Israel Mugwagwa to call off the match.
“I can’t talk much about that one because it is a matter that has gone to the PSL and I think my club officials are the perfect people to elaborate further.
“It was a crash against the post but I was not injured, I am fit and I still believe we could have conjured a comeback in those 34 minutes. Who knows, anything can happen in soccer,” he argued.
Away from the bizarre incident, Shumba is on cloud nine after earning his first Warriors call-up which was prompted by the seven clean sheets he kept for “Waru Waru” prior to last weekend’s match against DeMbare.
“I feel honoured, every player dreams to play for the national team.
“For someone who wasn’t aware people were watching my games, it came as a shock and all I can say is I am on cloud nine,” said Shumba.
Before joining Chapungu, Shumba played for Njube Sundowns, Highlanders and FC Platinum.
