Online Reporter
Forward Nyanyiwa in CARLOW, Ireland
LEONARD Tsipa has revealed that a freak training injury cost Blessing “Yogo Yogo” Makunike a dream move to English Premiership giants Arsenal.
Makunike died in a car crash, together with his teammates —Shingi Arlon and Gary Mashoko —on March 13, 2004.
The midfielder spent three weeks having trials at Arsenal in a deal which was brokered by John Fashanu.
The former England forward was a regular visitor to Zimbabwe at the turn of the millennium.
Tsipa, who was very close to Makunike, has been talking exclusively to H-Metro from his base in the UK and vividly remembers the freak accident which ruined his friend’s dream move.
“I was in the CAPS United juniors and rose through the ranks until Joe Mugabe recommended to (coach) Steve Kwashi that we get promoted into the first team,” said Tsipa.“It was myself and Ashley Rambanepasi.
“That was to be my first encounter with Blessing Makunike who was to later go for trials with English football giants Arsenal. John Fashanu visited Raylton Sports Club and he was in the company of boss Twine Phiri.
“Unbeknown to us, a deal for Blessing was underway. A ball was thrown towards Blessing and he started to juggle it but he pulled a muscle. He was treated and then went for the Arsenal trials in England.
“An MRI scan, however, revealed his injury was a serious one and Arsene Wenger could not take a risk on Blessing.Blessing was devastated because he had impressed Wenger.
“He packed his bags and returned home.”
When Tsipa went to Austria for trials with Rapid Vienna, he says Makunike gave him his Nike soccer boots to use. The two friends found a home in Europe when they were signed by Serbian club FK Javor Ivanjica. Tsipa said the move was made possible by a DVD recording of a BP League Cup match between CAPS United and Highlanders.
Mike Temwanjira also joined them at FK Javor Ivanjica.
Tsipa and Temwanjira signed for €2500 per month and Makunike penned a €3500 monthly salary deal. “It was a lot of money and we were happy to sign.
“It was also a big transaction for CAPS United because the club went on to buy six players who included Walter Tshuma, Siza Khoza, Brian Badza and Limited Chikafa, among others.”
Tsipa and Makunike played a full season but were offloaded at the end of the campaign while Temwanjira was retained. When they returned to CAPS United, they were caught up in a dilemma.
“The coach, Fewdays Musonda, did not play us and neither did he allow us to train. He froze us out. We had this big players’ status which he didn’t like but the president Twine Phiri told us to wait.
“That was the period when the team was losing games but still he couldn’t play us.”
He said when Charles Mhlauri became head coach, he initially was not the first-choice centre striker.
However, his goals forced Maluri to have a change of heart and invest his trust in him.
“Mhlauri didn’t trust me but l want to thank him for giving me a fighting mentality. He trusted (Walter) Tshuma maybe because of their Amazulu days and I wasn’t involved in the team for the first game during the 2004 season.It was Makunike and Lloyd Chitembwe who pushed for me for me to play and Mhlauri told me on a Tuesday that I was going to take part in the next match.”
That was the Njube Sundowns match in Bulawayo.
CAPS United won that match 2-1 through goals from David Sengu and Wonder Ngoko.
On the way back home from that match, tragedy struck when Makunike, Arlon and Mashoko died in that car accident.
By the end of the season, CAPS United honoured their fallen teammates by winning the league in commanding fashion.
The Green Machine dropped only 11 points all season, after losing just one game and drawing four others, to finish on 79 points.
Highlanders, the only team to beat CAPS United that season, finished second on 64 points, 15 points behind the champions.
Tsipa won the Golden Boot gong with his 18 goals while Njabulo Ncube of Railstars finished second.
