Mapisa to miss mom’s funeral

By Collin Matiza

Warriors goalkeeper Martin “Neuer” Mapisa won’t be able to pay his last respects to his mother who passed away in Harare yesterday.

Mapisa’s mother had been struggling with cancer for years.

But the travel restrictions across the world, due to the coronavirus pandemic, mean the youthful star will not be able to say goodbye to his mother.

He is holed up in Spain, where he is on the books of that country’s lower division side Zamora Club de Futbol.

The 21-year-old goalminder was yesterday devastated by his mother’s death.

He quoted a number of verses from the Bible in paying tribute to her yesterday through his Facebook wall.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

‘‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

‘‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

‘‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

‘‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever . . . REST IN PEACE MY HERO . . . Always Guide and Protect me in everything I do . . . I will always love you.”

Aces Youth Soccer Academy director, Nigel Munyati, whose nursery nurtured Mapisa, yesterday said he was also devastated by the death of the goalminder’s mother.

“Our thoughts as Aces Youth Soccer Academy are with the Mapisa family. Our relationship with the players goes beyond the field of play and we knew his mother well.

‘‘In fact, she supported the boy right from his nursery stage until now. May Her Soul Rest in Eternal Peace,” he said.

Jose Ignacio Gonzalez Rodriguez, a member of Zamora’s coaching staff, also consoled Mapisa yesterday.

“Martin Neuer Mapisa . . . your eternal smile will be the star that illuminates your way there where this (is), a hug my friend,” Rodriguez said.

Mapisa’s former teammate at another Spanish lower division side Vélez Club de Fútbol, and fellow Zimbabwe youth international, Abubakar Moffat, added: “May Her Soul Rest in Peace . . . and stay strong brother.”

Mapisa’s rise has seen him being selected in the Warriors squad and was due to play a role in the team’s AFCON back-to-back qualifiers against Algeria last month had the novel coronavirus pandemic not caused the games’ postponement.

He recently told The Herald he was finding ways to deal with the ongoing coronavirus lockdown in Spain.

All football activities across Europe have been frozen due to the coronavirus outbreak with Spain among one of the hotspots.

No Spanish side has played a competitive game since March 11.

And Mapisa is among hundreds of football stars who are in self-isolation due to the coronavirus lockdown in Spain and this has forced him to miss his mother’s funeral as he cannot travel back to Harare at the moment. The Herald