Online Reporter
Onward Gangata
WHEN Washington Navaya was named the 2025 Soccer Star of the Year last Friday, the applause reached far beyond the awards stage. It travelled back to Gweru, into the tight lanes of Mtapa, and into the memories of a suburb that has shaped some of Zimbabwe’s finest footballers. Navaya’s coronation was a personal breakthrough for the TelOne striker, yet it also marked a turning of the wheel for a community that has always believed its talent could rise again.
For the first time in 24 years, Mtapa had another player crowned the nation’s best. The last man to do it was Maxwell “MaRhino” Dube in 2001 when he starred for Chapungu. Since then, Dube has stood as the benchmark for young footballers in the city, a reminder of what was possible for anyone who chased the game with enough hunger.
Mtapa has always had that spark. The suburb is the oldest in Gweru and has consistently produced names that shaped the domestic league. Former Dynamos striker Bheki Mlotshwa grew up there, so did Highlanders’ defensive pillar, Melody Wafawanaka.
The late Mackreza Navaya, Washington’s uncle who turned out for Zimbabwe Saints, Highlanders and Lancashire Steel, also carried the suburb’s footballing imprint. More recently, players like Milton Makopa, Ariel Makopa, Kuda Musharu, Jacob Mzokomba and the Useni brothers kept the tradition alive.
Dube has remained more than a symbol of the past. Through his Marhino7 Academy, which he founded in 2000, he has worked quietly but consistently to shape Gweru’s future. The academy has taken in hundreds of boys over the years and given structure to raw talent that might otherwise have faded.
“I am extremely excited and deeply proud that our Marhino7 Academy, which I founded back in 2000, has produced the Soccer Star of the Year,” said Dube from Leicester. “When I heard the news that night, I was in tears,” he added.
These tears were the kind that followed years of grind, sacrifice and small victories that never made the headlines.
Navaya’s crowning felt like a revival of Mtapa’s place in Zimbabwe’s football story. It confirmed that the roots planted by Dube and others were still strong.
“This is a massive achievement for me personally, for our academy, and for the young talent in Mtapa, Ascot, and Mambo,” said Dube. He spoke of the long days and harder years, of the friends who kept the project alive.
“Running this academy has never been easy, and this recognition means everything. I want to thank my friends, Artwell Jani in Ireland, Amon Muchenje and Simon Chimanya in the UK, who have consistently supported and helped keep the academy going.
“My mum, who looks after the boys, deserves special mention, as well as coach Isaac Mbano, who is absolutely brilliant with the kids. There is also a businessman in Gweru, who prefers to remain unnamed, but he has played a major role by chipping in whenever we needed help. Producing world-class players has always been my dream, and Washy’s achievement shows that the talent is there in our communities.”
Navaya joined the academy in 2011 as an under 15 player, and he has never forgotten who helped shape him.
“Everyone who grew up during our era looked up to Maxwell Dube, he was an inspiration to me and many others, he shaped my career when I joined his academy in 2011 and he has been giving me advice throughout my journey. I am so happy we now have two Soccer Stars from our neighbourhood,” Navaya boasted.
His season went beyond the main award. Seventeen league goals gave him the Golden Boot and placed him among the most complete forwards to emerge from the domestic game in recent years.
“He has outshone a lot of us if you are to look at his achievements this season,” said Mzokomba. “It is a joy for the people of this city and Mtapa suburb, he has made us proud, it is not an easy thing to be voted as the Soccer Star of the Year, on top of that becoming top goal scorer in the same season. This gives belief to the upcoming stars that there is no barrier to success.”
Gweru’s mayor, councillor Martin Chivhoko, shared that sense of pride. “This is a proud moment for our city, and I’m honoured to congratulate him on this outstanding achievement,” he said. “Navaya’s determination and hard work have paid off, and his success is an inspiration to our young people. He is a shining example of what can be achieved with dedication and passion, his award is a testament to the city’s rich sporting heritage, and I’m proud to see our local talent thriving on the national stage.”
Navaya will soon switch from celebrations to preparation as the Warriors intensify their Afcon camp. Whether he makes Marian Marinica’s final squad or not, this season has already secured his place in Mtapa’s long story of football excellence. It has given young players in Gweru a fresh reminder that their dreams are reachable, and that the path carved by MaRhino still leads somewhere bright.
