admin
Makomborero Mutimukulu Special Correspondent
THE excitement generated by Denver Mukamba’s reported inclusion in the Warriors party that is set to prepare for the AFCON finals has hangover written all over it.
After a night of drinks one often wakes up feeling horrible, vowing never to touch anything alcoholic again.
But a while later you are most probably going to see our hangover haunted friend downing the very brew that caused him early morning anguish.
How the venom becomes the antidote is quite mysterious!
Those who are excited about Denver Mukamba’s latest Warriors link are alive to the fact that the lad has the tendency to disappoint.
But somehow they refuse to write his football epitaph as their Mundikumbuke hangover can only be cured by the midfielder finding his range again.
They are feeding on the nostalgia of days gone by.
Memories of Denver mesmerising us and bamboozling opponents with silky skills, memories of Denver sitting down defenders by chopping right, chopping left like machine.
Sweet memories indeed!
To some these memories are too yummy to let go hence they hang on to them and try to force march us into being members of the Denver Defence Forces.
Any attempts to make this lot analyse Denver’s performance graph objectively will be met with statements like “no one is perfect” and “Zimbabwe needs a creative midfielder and Denver is the only one we have.”
After years of falling faster than a speeding bullet Mukamba has found some sort of stability at Ngezi where Rodwell Dhlakama has done a fine job of keeping him in check.
Occasionally Denver has shown us glimpses of Mundikumbe but it’s been a here and there affairs, not a sustained campaign of having us at hello.
Does he deserve a place in the Warriors provisional squad?
I guess he does.
However, let’s not burden the lad with expectations.
He is no longer that cocky young guy who would talk big and do much more that walk that in big matches, in front of big crowds.
In March 2011 I did a preview of a CAF Champions League game between Dynamos and MC Alger of Algeria.
After interviewing coach Lloyd Mutasa, I asked to speak to Mukamba who had just taken a shower and looked to be in a hurry to go somewhere.
“Haaa mudhara Mako imimi nyorai zvamunoda and inini ndoita zvamunenge manyora. Mukati Denver ati Sunday togeza vanhu ndinogeza vanhu. Mukati Denver anokanda ndokanda…. ibho mudhara . . . ndimi moziva chirungu ini ndoziva bhora (Just write whatever you want, on my part I will live up to what you would have written),” he said as he drove away.
For a moment I felt disrespected before Mutasa said: “Father Denny akupisa, endai monyora izvozvo zvamaudzwa naye (Go ahead and follow his advice, he is in good form).”
In the preview I hyped up Mukamba.
And boy oh he duly delivered as DeMbare beat the Algerians 4-1 at Rufaro with Mundikumbe scoring a peach.
More than a decade later I struggle to recognise the Denver Mukamba I spoke to ahead of the MC Alger game and the Denver Mukamba who is doing duty for Ngezi.
It”s chalk and cheese.
And that is why I am coy about going gaga about Mukamba in the Warriors squad.
Many a time the Mukamba resurrection story has been reported on but that narrative has often ended in tears, with Denver turning out to be Denver — truant, unfit and a shadow of the player who was the king of these football isles in 2012.
Another ride on this “hope Mukamba delivers” train is one ride too many for some of us.
Online Reporter