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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
MANICA Diamonds striker Fortune Binzi says he had to take painkillers to be able to play in the just-ended Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.
The forward is the only player from the Jairos Tapera team, that finished second on the log, to have made it on the Castle Lager Soccer Stars calendar.
While there is a general feeling that Bret Amidu, Gerald Bero and Brian Chikwenya all deserved a place in the season’s Best 11, it was Binzi alone who made sure the Manicaland side had a representative on the calendar.
The 25-year-old scored 10 goals for the one of the only two teams (the other being Simba Bhora) in the Premiership who played all their 34 games away from home.
Yet Binzi’s season looked as good as over when he ruptured his arm midway through the season in the match against Sheasham.
The former Yadah man needed 21 stitches on the hand and he subsequently missed eight consecutive games.
He had to force his way back before he had fully healed and the top striker has now revealed that he had to take some painkillers to suffocate the pain as he wanted to help Manica Diamonds win the title.
“The injury was deeper and nastier than what people thought,” Binzi said.
“It was very painful for me individually given that form I was in when I picked it.
“It looked like the end of the everything for me. Truly speaking I never thought I would be able to play any further part in the season again.
“My hand was in pain. I had 21 stitches on it.
“But I kept on believing that I would heal just in time for me to play some few more games.
“It was emotionally painful just as it was physically. I turned to Prophet Magaya of course, as I have always done. He prayed for me and I believed all would be okay.
“I had to rush back to the game before fully healing. So at times, I would take painkillers. I was then able to add to my scoring tally. It was very miraculous that I was able to play again in a season I thought was over after suffering that injury”. Of course, at the end, Binzi was unable to outscore Ngezi Platinum Stars’ Takunda Benhura who won the Golden Boot after hitting the back of the net 13 times but the Manica Diamonds player feels happy for making it to the calendar.
“The aim for the season was to score at least 20 goals and possibly win the Golden Boot accolade,” he said.
“But I then missed almost half of the number of games we played.
“The injury was so detrimental to my dreams. I had to force my way back but it was painful.
“I am extremely happy that with the little I did when I was up and running, I was able to be recognised by the soccer stars’ selectors”.
Binzi started his season like a house on fire and he looked poised to outscore everyone before he was grounded by the injury.
While potential suitors are lining up offers for the talented gunslinger, Tapera is holding on to his main man whom he wants to build his strike force for next season on.
With Donald Ngoma and Ralph Kawondera likely to depart, Binzi will have new attacking partners next season as Tapera and his charges attempt to bring the championship to Manicaland for the first time in the history of local football. The team will be buoyed by the fact that they will be staging their home games at Sakubva which is currently under renovations. Manica Diamonds played all their “home” games at Gibbo in Triangle in the 2023 term.
Online Reporter
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