Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THIS is not about Scottland FC and their football parties that possess incredible power to draw crowds, such as the one recently witnessed in Mutare, where some individuals who had never sat on any side of the cement-paved terraces of Sakubva Stadium took time to watch the world’s most beautiful game.
This is certainly not about the usually well-attended musical shows featuring eminent musicians, where the young and the old have the tenacity to brave the chilly weather just to soothe their souls with scintillating tunes.
If anything, this is all about the celebrated musician, Freeman’s Gallis Football Club, which rolls into the eastern border city for a potentially exciting football match against Socco Golden Stars at Mutare Showgrounds tomorrow (Saturday).
The festivities of the day start at 12pm.
Football has evolved over the years from being a highly competitive game pitting top-flight league clubs to becoming a star attraction that also features a wide array of classes, sections, and figures in communities.
It is against this background that the social football encounter pitting the crowd-pulling Gallis FC is expected to charm folks in Mutare, who are highly likely to turn out in their numbers to witness the hyped duel against social soccer outfit, Socco Golden Stars.
Socco Golden Stars owner, Ruramai Nyakonga said: “We are excited to host Gallis Football Club, a project started and owned by the musician Freeman.
“We are a modest football team made up of former football stars and general football enthusiasts. On the other hand, Gallis FC is also laden with football talent from Freeman himself and his crew. We hope to have a good day of social football as we seek to promote health and wellness among former football players as well as male adults in general.”
Born Sylvester Chizanga in 1988, Freeman assumed the stage name Freeman after breaking into the senior soccer team while at school at a young age.
“I used to play soccer from my school days, and I even played for division one sides. And before, I used to go for training after studio sessions until I found that the music industry provided more opportunities,” he said.
Before he became a musician, Freeman was first a footballer, focused on the national stage. His soccer career took him to the first division, where he played for prominent teams in his hometown of Bindura.
He was a goalkeeper during his school days.
When he noticed that his soccer career was not progressing, he took up work at an abattoir at the age of 18.
With the little he earned, he recorded his first song, thereby reviving his singing talent, which had been discovered at a young age.
