Mushekwi has finally found his footing

By Kgomotso Mokoena

There’s something puzzling about Nyasha Mushekwi’s demeanor. He’s too shy to look you in the eye but his speech is filled with snippets of overconfidence. He also looks smaller in person than the gentle giant that bulldozes past defenders in the PSL.

He is also a fundamentalist when it comes to Zimbabwe, his country of birth, and says it’s just a matter of time before Zimbabwe’s Dream Team is revived with the kind of incredible talent that is coming through from his countrymen.

Reinhard Fabisch’s famed Dream Team of the early 1990s held Zimbabwe and Africa spellbound with some memorable performances from Bruce Grobbelaar, Norman Mapeza, Adam Ndlovu, John Phiri, and the late duo of Francis Shonhayi and Mercedes Sibanda.

“Talent has always been there it’s just that we haven’t been consistent since the team of Peter Ndlovu. Just have a look at the players we are producing and I am telling you we will be a powerhouse in five years,” he says. Mushekwi rubbishes the claims that the PSL is grooming players for Zimbabwe and other southern African countries.

“I don’t think so. We come here and we score the goals. It’s not like we come and they teach us that here. We arrive here ready to do the job,” he said. Mushekwi is still confident Sundowns will win the league.

“January and February have not been great for us and we have to bounce back. There’s still a long way to go and 10 matches to play. We just have to win our next match, and the next -and not worry about the other teams.”

After a slow start to the season, Mushekwi has finally found his footing. Before this weekend’s action, he was two goals behind leading scorer and countryman, Chiefs’ Knowledge Musona.

He stepped up to the plate when the club needed him most after No1 striker Katlego Mphela absconded from duty. Mushekwi scored three goals in the three matches Mphela missed.  He is not your typical footballer who grew up poverty-stricken and kicking a ragged ball in the dusty streets.

He was born in Harare and grew up with his grandparents because his mother was working in England as a company manager. He and his two brothers were well taken care of and he attended top schools in Harare. He started at Blackstone Primary and proceeded to the high-status Allan Wilson High School and then Churchill High.

He claims football wasn’t really his thing as he dabbled in a number of sports such as volleyball, hockey, tennis and basketball. “Football was a male sport and together with my mates we chose other sports just to get close to the girls.

“Soccer was not our only option. I even got a scholarship to go play basketball in the US but because of Zimbabwe’s politics and the sanctions, I could not get a visa.” He joined Caps United when he was 19 and hasn’t looked back.

“It was basketball off-season and a friend recommended me to Caps United. I impressed the technical team and played for them for three seasons and that’s when Sundowns started following me and Method Mwanjale.

“They invited us for trials when Hristo Stoichkov was still the coach in 2009. They did not sign us but kept track of us.”

“Sundowns scouts Trott Moloto, Harris Choeu and Sudesh Singh followed our every move. We then came to South Africa with Caps United to play against Moroka Swallows in the Caf Confederations Cup at Rand Stadium last year and Sundowns were impressed. There were talks about Kaizer Chiefs but I never went for trials there.”

He says basketball played a key role in shaping his soccer career. “Basketball taught me to jump higher and to sprint very fast.

“I also learnt how to use my physique against opponents because there’s more contact than in football. Now I just need to work on my awareness and need to know who’s behind me on the field. My first touch is not that great and I am working hard to improve those two aspects.”

“I won’t play in the Premier Soccer League for long. The PSL is very competitive but I believe I can make it in the English league or the Spanish La Liga.

“England’s aggressive style suits me even better. But my immediate task is to help Sundowns win the Premiership and to help Zimbabwe qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. We have a tough away match against Mali but who said Mali cannot be beaten in Mali?” Times Live.co.za