The Sunday Mail
DOMINIC CHUNGWA is a player that housed hope for the troubled souls of the Caps United faithful over the past two seasons.
However, for the boisterous Dynamos family, he is a player they never really wished well as they knew he had the legs to destroy their team.
But football changes a lot, doesn’t it?
The 29-year-old bustling forward, whom the Green side of the capital thought would one day fill the big boots left vacant by Nyasha Mushekwi, has turned blue.
Naturally one would expect Chungwa to be emotional ahead of today’s Bob 91 Super Cup final against his former team at Rufaro.
But not this Chungwa.
“I have no emotional attachment to Caps United,” he declares.
“I never supported them even as a youngster. If anything, the team I grew up supporting is Hwange whom my father played for and you also have to understand that I grew up in Hwange.
“I was at Caps as a professional and now that I have moved on professionally, life goes on. I will not have any problems playing against them should the coaches ask me to,” Chungwa said after his team’s Thursday workout at Gwanzura.
With a jaw-dropping goal scoring return of 36 strikes for Hippo Valley in the less glamorous Division One league in 2012, Chungwa was primed to make it big at Makepekepe when he arrived in 2013.
A return of 10 goals in his debut season was not a bad start and further hyped expectation going into the 2014 season.
However, injuries ravaged his progress and the Caps faithful pointed at his poor goal scoring as one of the reasons they failed to stop their bullying at the hands of Dynamos.
Chungwa managed just six goals last season.
Despite his poor return, Caps United wanted to hold onto Chungwa during the off-season, but the striker forced his way to DeMbare and this afternoon he will be fighting in the blue corner.
Chungwa, son of former Hwange defender Petros, hopes last season’s injuries are nothing but a bad memory and if word coming from Dynamos assistant coach Tonderai Ndiraya is anything to go by, then this might just be Chungwa’s season.
“Dominic and Kelvin (Bulaji) have done well ever since joining us; their attitude and work ethic has surprised us and you can see they are up to the task,” said Ndiraya.
However, before he even dreams about personal glory, Chungwa needs to shake off a stiff battle for a starting XI jersey from the technically-gifted and equally powerful Bulaji.
Patrick Khumbula is also vying for the big Dynamos boots that have not found a fitting occupant since Takesure Chinyama returned from Poland to blaze a trail before being snapped up by Orlando Pirates Down South.
The bustling Chungwa says he will not be bulldozing for individual glory.
“Dynamos is a team at the top and my target when I joined was to help continue with the medal haul. The team has some very good players and I can tell you these guys are not worried with the noise coming from Caps United.
“I am not really the type that prefers talking much, but would rather have my performance do the talking,” said Chungwa.
Whether he will succeed in helping DeMbare continue with their dominance is debate for another day, but his WhatsApp status is loaded with meaning — “With God all is possible. Thank u God”.
