Zimpapers Sports Hub
HARDROCK forward Prince Dube said he had offers flying in his face from across East Africa but his heart elected to come back home.
He admits that he wasn’t even sure if he had made the right decision but the gamble looks to be rewarding as the Kwekwe team is on the break of making history.
The Kwekwe-based team which is leading the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League standings with five points, is only two wins away from glory and also have a chance to claim the Chibuku Super Cup on November 28, when they play Highlanders in the final.
It was Dube who dragged the Kelvin Kaindu charges to the final with his late brace forcing a 2-2 draw in the semifinal against FC Hunters at Chahwanda on Saturday before the home team prevailed on penalties.
Quite interesting for Dube, his heroics set up a final matchup against a Highlanders side which gave him a name before joining Azam in Tanzania seven years ago.
Dube helped Bosso to the Chibuku Super Cup glory in 2019 when his solitary goal against Ngezi
Platinum Stars settled the game and it will be interesting to see him lining up at opposition half on November 28.
But that’s the nature of the game, as Dube puts it across, with the forward now fully focused on the league where Hardrock need to just win their two remaining games to land the crown.
“Things are moving in the right direction,” he said after Saturday’s semifinal win.
“It’s true that there were a lot of clubs which were interested in my services but once I saw there was an opportunity for me to come back home, I just decided to try it.
“It was like a gamble but it’s panning out exactly the way my instincts thought it would.
“In football, we just have to be together and support each other. As long as we have got that togetherness, you know, we can go far. That is the foundation of everything we do. Talent alone is never enough if the team is not united.
“So far, I think it is working for us. We continue working hard, we continue believing in each other, and we continue pushing in the same direction.
“When one player makes a mistake, the other covers for him. When someone is down, we lift each other up.
“That spirit is what keeps us going. If we maintain this unity and this belief, we will achieve our goals. We are one team, one family, and that is how we want to stay until the end.”
Dube who is also in the Warriors provisional squad for the upcoming back-to-back 2027 Africa cup of Nations qualifiers, said signing for a local team wasn’t only about football.
“I think sometimes, you know, the heart knows what it wants,” he said.
“I felt like this was the right moment for me to come back to Zimbabwe. It was not just about football, it was about coming home, reconnecting with my people and giving back to the game that made me who I am.
“It feels good to be back, to play again in front of our fans and to share my experience with the younger players.
“I have learned a lot outside the country, but there is no place like home. I am happy to be here and ready to contribute in any way I can.
“It is not just about football, it is about belonging, about giving back and inspiring the next generation.
“I am excited for what lies ahead and I am ready to give everything for the team.”
Hardrock can become the first team from Kwekwe to win the league title on their Premiership bow and only the third team to do so in 42 years after Black Rhinos’ 1984 feat and defending champions Scottland last year.
Dube has never won the biggest prize in domestic football and he knows there couldn’t be any other bigger opportunity than to lay his hands on the silverware.
Just two wins and the PSL trophy finds its way to Kwekwe and another one against Bosso at Chahwanda, on November 28, it will be a double.
