Online Reporter
Robson Sharuko
H-Metro Editor
IT’S a measure of Denver Mukamba’s uniqueness and enduring star quality that he is still a big part of the tale of the domestic Premiership − 14 years after he exploded on the grand stage.
This is the Mystery Man who, at the age of 20, was crowned Soccer Star of the Year in December 2012.
This is the Mundikumbuke who, at the age of 21, was given the honour of captaining the Warriors by Klaus-Dieter Pagels.
And, this is the Baba Dhodho who, at the age of 32, finds himself still being a big part of the narrative as the domestic Premiership prepares for what some analysts are saying could be the Game of the Season.
A man who has refused to let time dictate when the final chapter of his football career should be written.
An athlete who has defied headlines, which claimed his journey in top-flight football leagues had come to an end, and a footballer who has seemingly risen from the dead.
It’s hard to believe that at the beginning of last year Denver was playing social football in the Harare Super League where he was getting just US$10 for every win.
It was a far cry from his days in South Africa where he played for Bidvest Wits, University of Pretoria and Jomo Cosmos.
For many, the sun was setting for this maverick footballer who, as an 18-year-old, dribbled his way into the hearts of thousands of Dynamos fans with a starring role in a 4-1 destruction of Algerian side MC Alger in a CAF Champions League tie.
On March 20, 2021, Denver turned on a spectacular individual show to power DeMbare to a crushing win but, towards the end of the match, he also showed his other side − poor judgment.
His reckless and needless foul in the penalty area gave the Algerians a late penalty, from which they scored their solitary goal.
That incident went largely unnoticed, mainly because Denver had starred on the pitch, but when DeMbare crashed out on the away goals rule, after losing the reverse fixture 0-3, the gravity of his mistake, and the occasional weakness of his character, were highlighted.
Scoring for CAPS United in the Harare Derby should have marked him out an enemy of the DeMbare fans but there is something about Denver which makes him immune from what infects other footballers.
In his third stint at Dynamos Denver, somehow, still wins the popularity contest, among the fans, with a landslide.
Tomorrow, he is set to face Scottland, the very team which plucked him from the wilderness last year and gave him a chance to play competitive football again in Division One.
He accepted the challenge and in his first game for the Scotts he scored a brace in a 3-1 win over Trojan Mine.
Then, in August, he scored the most decisive goal of the season in the Division One championship race.
Denver scored the Scotts goal in a 1-1 draw against MWOS at Ngoni and had his long-range effort not beat the ‘keeper, the two clubs would have ended with the same number of points – 86.
However, MWOS would have won the championship courtesy of a superior goal difference.
For Denver, that’s all part of his past, which also includes stints at Chapungu and Ngezi Platinum Stars.
He is back at Dynamos, a club he will tell you is his spiritual home, and his return has coincided with a fine run by the Glamour Boys.
Kelvin Kaindu’s biggest test will come tomorrow.
And, he has Denver to turn to as and when he needs him.
It’s such a remarkable football tale and such an amazing football romance.
