adminThe Warriors midfielder, who is scheduled to leave the country on Monday to join Swedish First Division side Kalmar FC, donned the Sprouting jersey again yesterday and played with his former teammates in a farewell match organised for him by the club.
Sprouting, owned by Calvin Nyazema, is the first club which the talented midfielder played for when he was still at Cranborne Boys High School.
Then in came coach Misheck Chidzambwa, who at that time was coaching the now-defunct CAPS FC, who saw Gutu at training sessions at the University of Zimbabwe and was charmed by the young midfielder.
The former Warriors coach then took Gutu boy to CAPS FC and introduced him to Premiership football while he was doing his “O” Levels at Cranborne Boys High School.
Chidzambwa fielded the young player for the first time when CAPS FC met Highlanders in the capital in 2006. It was the beginning of a journey which first saw Gutu joining South African Premiership side Ajax
Cape Town for an unfruitful stint in May 2009 before coming back home to resuscitate his career at Harare giants Dynamos in October 2010.
Gutu later went to Europe for trial stints with different clubs without much success before he finally made the grade at Swedish side Kalmar FC.
And Gutu yesterday could not hide his excitement about the prospects of playing football in Europe.
“I am happy that I’m finally going to Europe. It is every player’s dream to play abroad. It was heartbreaking to go on trials and fail to make the grade.
“But I knew the time would come. I just have to work hard and (try to) break into more competitive leagues like the German Bundesliga,” said Gutu.
Yesterday at Rufaro, the young midfielder felt at home as he went into tackles with his old teammates at Sprouting, a club which was formed in 2005.
All the Sprouting players on loan at various clubs came to Rufaro to play the farewell match for their former teammate.
Players such as the Motor Action duo of goalkeeper Francis Nicho and Morris Kadzola, Kiglon’s Kenny Mageja and Hwange newboys Allan Tavarwisa and Eric Chipere reunited with other Sprouting players such as Leo Ngombengombe and Philip Nelson.
Gutu said he was touched by the gesture that was extended to him by his former team yesterday.
“This team means a lot to me. These players have a special place in my heart. This is where it all began when I was a schoolboy at Cranborne High.
“I feel overwhelmed by this occasion. And I just hope that these players would use this to inspire themselves and do well and join European clubs in the future,” said Gutu.
One of Sprouting’s up-and-coming players, currently loaned at Northern Region Division side DStv Rangers, Talent Chawapiwa, wished Gutu well and hoped that one day it would be his turn to leave.
“It really means a lot to us that one of our teammates is going to Europe. This means that the team is making progress. I played with Gutu at Sprouting but I was still very young and he was my senior.
“My career is promising and if I remain focused I believe I will also do well. I had a great season with DStv, missing out on the ticket to the Premiership when we finished second behind Harare City this last season.
“Personally, I did well as I was selected to play for Zimbabwe in the Cosafa Championships in Botswana and I hope this coming year has greater things for me.
“I now want to play in the Premiership after two years (playing) in Division One,” said Chawapiwa.
The 19-year-old player impressed a small crowd, which turned out at Rufaro yesterday, and including coaches such as Gunners gaffer Moses Chunga, his assistant Thanks Tengwe, Newsome Mutema, Masimba
Mutame and former players Alois Bunjira and Edelbert Dinha.
The club owner Nyazema said his project has done relatively well and is not result-oriented but is aimed at grooming players and feed them to other clubs.
“Going into the New Year we have done well, managing to have one player going to Europe, four being registered by Hwange and Motor Action who would be playing in the Confederation Cup.
“We also have about six players who are ripe and ready to play in the Premiership.
“Our project identifies talent from areas such as Mbare and Dzivarasekwa and we sign contracts with parents and pay school fees for the kids whom we enroll at Churchill Boys High School.
“We were nearly promoted into the First Division but our focus is on grooming players and we are not result-oriented,” said Nyazema.
Sprouting is coached by Alexio Sijoni and Effort Murindagomo while DStv Rangers coach Mutame oversees the technical team. Former Dynamos striker Garikai Mukangairwa was the first coach of the club and is
credited with grooming Gutu and Rookie of the Year finalist Kadzola and other players now plying their trade in the Premiership and Division One.
Online Reporter