Chronicle Editor
Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter
WHAT are the chances that a famous footballer and an aspiring professional football player who are separated by numerous borders, countless lakes and a famous rainforest are biological brothers?
It’s often said that “everyone has a twin that at least looks just like them somewhere out there in the world”.
Take a look at Cowdray Park’s 22-year-old Lawrence Mayoyo whom football enthusiasts in his suburb call “Aboubakar” because of his resemblance to the Cameroonian captain Vincent. The two hail from two countries — Cameroon and Zimbabwe — that are separated by over 3 400 kilometres but their striking similarity has got his friends and football mates talking.
Vincent is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Turkish Süper Lig club Besiktas and captains the Cameroon national team.
Saturday Chronicle Sport caught up with the budding footballer who instinctively answers to the name “Aboubakar” without thinking twice.
“Aboubakar is a name that has stuck to me. I answer to it with no qualms because people in my hood EmaFour have always made sure that it is a moniker that sticks to me. They always argue that I have a striking resemblance to Cameroon footballer Vincent Aboubakar,” said the coy Mayoyo, an attacking midfielder, who has previously did duty for Cowdray Park FC and Biya and Friends Academy in the junior teams rank.
Last season, he turned out for Zifa Southern Region Division Two side Nabals FC, and with a pending move to Kwekwe-based Zifa Central Region Division One side Zupco FC on the horizon, Cowdray Park’s Aboubakar is dreaming big.
“Of late I have been training with Southern Region Division One side CIWU all in an effort to keep fit. I’m happy to say that I’m heavily linked with a move to Zupco FC. It’s only a matter of time before I go to Kwekwe and officially sign for the club. I’m hoping to scale dizzy heights, carve my name and go to play in Europe.
It’s every footballer’s dream to play in foreign lands and I will always dream of surpassing Vincent Aboubakar’s standards,” said the former Mafakela Primary School and Inyanda High School pupil who at times enjoys playing pool with his peers.
While the young footie star from Cowdray still hopes and prays for a national team call up, his “namesake” has earned over 90 caps for Cameroon since his international debut in May 2010. Vincent was part of Cameroon squads for the 2010, 2014 and 2022 Fifa World Cups, as well as the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015, 2017 and 2021.
He scored the winning goal in the final of the 2017 tournament and was the top goalscorer of the 2021 edition.
In January, Besiktas swooped to sign Vincent after his release from Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival.
The former’s contract was terminated by the Saudi Arabian club to make way for Ronaldo, as the Saudi League rules state that clubs can only register up to eight foreign players per squad.
The Cameroon skipper arrived at Besiktas as a replacement for Wout Weghorst, who cut short his loan in Turkey and joined Manchester United from Burnley.
Meanwhile, today’s Castle Challenge Cup clash between defending champions FC Platinum and Bulawayo Chiefs will mark the official start of the 2023 Premier Soccer League (PSL) action. The season’s opener that features championship winners and Chibuku Super Cup champion will be played at Zvishavane’s Mandava Stadium.
It promises to be a thriller as Bulawayo Chiefs are league champions FC Platinum’s bogey side.
Bulawayo Chiefs who will be playing their fourth official match against FC Platinum at Mandava Stadium since their promotion to the topflight in 2018, will be seeking their second win in Zvishavane.
On their first trip, to Mandava in 2018, Bulawayo Chiefs lost 3-1, won the 2019 encounter 1-0 and lost last season’s assignment in Zvishavane 1-0.
It will not be an easy task for Bulawayo Chiefs this afternoon as FC Platinum have dominated the Castle Challenge Cup introduced in 2017.
Online Reporter