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Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
SAMANTHA Mushonga and Cotilder Chirinda are both unassuming and fearless.
The two are just 14 but they have big hearts.
They both turn out for Zimbabwe Women’s Football Super League side Faith Drive Queens.
The Mutare-based team has built a solid reputation in terms of giving a chance to young girls from marginalised communities.
In fact, they have the youngest team in the division with an average age of 17 years.
But it is the pair of Mushonga and Chirinda who easily catches the eye whenever Faith Drive Queens are in action.
They lost their last league game against defending champions Herentals Queens at the National Sports Stadium’s B Arena last week with one of their most prominent products Maud Mafuruse scoring one of the two goals that sank them. Although they ended on the losing side, the 14-year-olds were lively throughout the afternoon, as they have always been this season. They both play in the midfield with Mushonga deployed as the play-maker for one of the most entertaining clubs in the division while Chirinda mostly plays in defensive midfield.
Chirinda, who made history as the youngest player to play in the league when she debuted against Chapungu Queens at Manyame in August last year playing as a goalkeeper can also play any position.
The duo’s play is easy on the eye and they are dreaming big too. Mushonga who used to turn out for Chirovakamwe in Mutare said coach Admire Mahachi has been the driving force behind her success story.
“I know I am still learning a lot of things as a player. I need to improve in a lot of areas as I am still growing up. I owe all this to my coach Admire Mahachi.
“When I joined Faith Drive Queens, I didn’t have the confidence needed for someone to play in the top-flight. But I have vastly improved in that respect and several aspects of my game,” said Mushonga.
“I would like to salute my teammates who always push me to put in the work every day. To imagine that they (teammates) are also equally young and giving me such encouragement is very humbling.
“I will keep on working hard as my ambition is to become one of the best players in the league and possibly clinch a deal outside the country”.
For Chirinda seeing three of her former teammates — Alice Moyo, Bethel Kondo and Catherine Gwangwara — making the grade at Zambian champions Green Buffaloes has challenged her to aim higher.
“I was the club’s goalkeeper last season before I decided to shift to being an infield player. I now play as an infield player but I can still be the team’s goalkeeper as and when the coach says so.
“Football is something that I love and that I want to eke out a living from,” she said.
“Seeing Kondo, Moyo and Gwangwara sealing moves with a Zambian team brought about belief in me. I am sure if one works very hard, they are bound to succeed.
“The good thing is that at Faith Drive Queens, we have a schedule that challenges everyone to work very hard.
“I used to play for Vengere Academy in Rusape after I joined as an 11-year-old. Then coach Mahachi saw me turning out for this team and he signed me at Faith Drive Queens”. Like all other school going teammates, Mushonga and Chirinda learn at Nyamauru High, a school which has a partnership with the ambitious women’s club.
Online Reporter