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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
CHARLES Chiutsa is flying high.
Reaching for the stars.
He is certainly the most notable name in this Monomotapa team who are in their second year in the
Premiership in 2006.
The year earlier, Chiutsa made his debut in the top-flight.
And he stood toe to toe with established players like the eventual Soccer Star of the Year winner Joseph
Kamwendo of CAPS United.
Chiutsa, unsurprisingly made it to the calendar.
His prayer is to defy the second season syndrome.
He has started the term well, scoring and assisting with incredible consistency.
Monomotapa is stable.
On and off the field of play.
They travel on a luxury coach listening to good music.
The team has also been caught in the current euphoria.
Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira has released a global chart-topping hit “Hips Don’t Lie” on her seventh studio album “Oral Fixation, Volume 2”.
She features Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean who has also helped out in writing the lyrics of the song together with percussionist Archie Pena.
“Shakira, Shakira….”
So the introductory verse of the song go.
It’s this part which Zimbabweans seem to be liking the most.
And Chiutsa loves the song so much that he is almost always requesting it be played in Monomotapa’s luxury bus enroute to matches.
His wife is expecting the couple’s first fruit.
And his teammates, particularly Tafadzwa Mombeshora and Irvine Tinarwo have a plan.
“Your child should be called Shakira. In fact, s(he) is called Shakira. No more questions,” Chiutsa recalls Mombeshora saying.
“And just like that everyone else backed the suggestion.
“At first I was angry but then realised football is a crazy game and everything crazy happens.
“As soon as news filtered that we had been blessed with a baby girl, everyone started calling me Baba Shakira”.
Apparently, Chiutsa’s nickname all along had been “T-Bone” or “Bhonzo”.
The player didn’t name his daughter Shakira though.
He named her Britney, Sharon.
By the way, that was around the same time American pop star Britney Jean Spears was also making waves earning herself an affectionate moniker “Princess of Pop”.
“Generally, I love music. In fact, music is a huge part of me.
“Of course, I cannot exactly say my daughter’s name was influenced by my love for Spears’ music though.
“I just liked the name…”
Now a father, Chiutsa has to be more focused on his game.
It’s this game that rescued him afforded him a chance to move from Kadoma to Harare.
It’s this game that he didn’t take seriously while growing up in this farming town.
It’s this game that gave him a job at David Whitehead two years after completing his secondary education.
Yet, he had ignored this game’s allure for two good years upon completing his Ordinary Levels as he combed for other options outside it.
It’s this game that he never considered as a profession even after impressing David Whitehead coach Gibson Machacha in a three-week audition so much that after that successful trial he just decided to stay home.
“Of course, growing up in Rimuka, Kadoma I used to play football. But, as someone in a small town, I didn’t see myself making it big in the game,” he said.
“After completing my Ordinary Levels, I actually spent two years at home, doing nothing.
“It took one of my friends Munyaradzi Mbano to convince me to go for training at David Whitehead which was in Division Two.
“I went there for three weeks, impressed and got bored. I then stopped going for training until the coach there Gibson Machacha came to my place and talked to me.
“That’s how it all started. I got employed at David Whitehead while playing football for their second division team. I played in the same team with the likes of Cuthbert Malajila, who is also my friend.
“I spent two years at David Whitehead from 2001 to 2003. We were promoted into Division One. It was during that period when Monomotapa who were also in the same league acquired me…”
Chiutsa puts in the work.
As determined as ever.
He wants to win accolades for “Shakira”.
Monomotapa are formidable with top quality players like Daniel Zokoto, Daniel Kamunenga, Darryl Nyandoro and Christopher Samakweri.
But they can’t find the right formula to navigate to the podium in any competition.
They finally come right in 2009 winning the league title under coach Norman Mapeza.
The success is made even sweeter by the fact that Monomotapa failed to pick any points in the opening four matches.
“Winning that league title was my career highlight. I was so happy and when I reflect on the achievement, I feel very proud.
“I scored three goals in the 2010 CAF Champions League in which we reached the mini-league.
“Of course, my dream was to play outside the country but I am thankful for the achievements I posted playing locally,” said Chiutsa.
Now 41, Chiutsa, who also had a stint with CAPS United is back in Kadoma where he is working.
Online Reporter