adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
THE last time that the 1995 Soccer Star of the Year finalist, Patrick Chapoterera was in a stadium to watch a domestic Premiership match was in 2004 during the Charles Mhlauri era and for him there is really no longer anything enticing to spare time for.
The soft spoken, yet eloquent Chapoterera, who is now based in Harare, said he no longer harbours ambitions of coming back to the fast lane of the game of football.
“It is sad that football is no longer what it used to be during our days as players. We no longer have the best talented players playing football simply because it is no longer enticing to play soccer. During our day, everyone who would play football would try his luck.
“These days we have average players and some who do not even qualify to be called football players roaming in our stadia masquerading as soccer players.
“When soccer was still soccer, everybody would find time for football. People even made excuses at their workplaces so that they could find time to go and watch football simply because it was entertaining. The game has really lost that entertainment value.
“The last time that I was in a stadium to watch a domestic Premiership match was in 2004 during the Charles Mhlauri era and I have never gone back to football even as a spectator. No. I do not even have plans to come back to football. No. Not at all,” said Chapoterera.
This is not peculiar to Chapoterera, but such is the lack of interest in the domestic game that has gripped the nation.
The cruel nature of the domestic game also worsened his hatred for it after Chapoterera, with all his illustrious and exhilarating exploits on the field of play, was left to foot his own medical bills after his Achilles tendon was ruptured.
While it is rare to hear of a player being imposed on a school soccer team by a headmaster that is what happened to former Tanganda prolific goal poacher Chapoterera, whose talents were identified by none other than the school head, Peter Muzawazi.
Many in Mutare and beyond would remember Chapoterera from his unforgettable days at Tan Tan, as Tanganda FC was fondly referred to by its fans back then, but a few would know of the humble beginnings of his career.
Born on August 3, 1973, young Patrick started playing football in the dusty streets of Dangamvura’s P section in a hood that produced quite a number of talented soccer players that include the late Blessing ‘Yogo Yogo’ Makunike.
Sweating it out at paChemhanza (ghetto codename for the ground they used to play), soccer was an everyday part of the lives of youngsters in high-density suburbs when Patrick did his primary education.
Even by the time that he enrolled at Mutare Junior and later Chimanimani Primary, Patrick found himself graduating into the schools’ soccer team, as tiny in statue as he was.
However, when he enrolled at Marist Brothers for his high school education, Patrick was not so much into football in lower secondary school and it was only when he was doing Form Three that he was spotted by headmaster, Muzawazi while he was playing inter-house soccer competitions.
Muzawazi immediately demanded that the young Patrick be included in the Marist Brothers school soccer team and indeed he did not disappoint.
“I did not play football in Form One and Form Two when I was at Marist Brothers though I had played football a lot while in primary school. In fact, I was so much into volleyball.
“It was only in Form Three that I featured in the school inter-house competitions that I was spotted by Peter Muzawazi, who was our headmaster. He was impressed with my style of play and immediately demanded that I should be included in the schools’ soccer team.
“I went on to play for the team and I remember my first Catholic Schools Association game was at Regina Ceoli in Nyanga. I impressed all those who watched the matches that I played.
“That is when I began to make a name in schools soccer until we were the team to beat at Marist Brothers. The team was very strong and five of the players went to play in the top-flight league and that is Kingstone Chidawanyika who went on to play for Chapungu, Davis Mundirwira, Godfrey and Godwin Madziwa with whom I played at Tanganda FC.
“We were just unstoppable as a high school team and I remember that we walloped all the teams that we played against in the entire province.
“In fact, in 1991 we went on to play in the National School of School Heads (NASH) Games that year in Kwekwe and we were only beaten in the finals by Churchill,” he said.
It was during the same tournament in Kwekwe that Patrick was also spotted by a CAPS United agent who went on to solicit for a trial stint for the youngster at Makepekepe.
He joined the Harare giants’ junior team and the former Tanganda FC free scoring striker acknowledged that it was difficult back then to break into the star-studded senior team that had the likes of Silver ‘Bhonzo’ Chigwenje and Never Chiku.
“I decided to go back home in Mutare because by then Tanganda was also in the top-flight league. It did not take long for me to make the grade in the Tanganda FC senior team. It was being coached by Misheck Marimo.
“In fact, it was also a case of an opportunity that arose at the right time when Stephen Matsvaire was injured and I was thrown into the deep end.
“I remember the first match that I was meant to play for Tanganda in 1993. It was against Highlanders and you can imagine the anxiety and fear that gripped me given the fact that Highlanders at that time it had about six players who were turning out for the national team.
“There was Benjamin Nkonjera, Rahman Gumbo, Mercedes Sibanda, Madinda and Adam Ndlovu and Abraham Mbambo. Peter Ndlovu had left by then.
“However, I managed to perform beyond expectation. I remember very well fans doubting Marimo’s decision to let me play in that match. Some even said chii chatakuitirwa naMhofu (what does Mhofu think he is doing?). Simply because of my statue they doubted me, but after that match I had earned the respect and love of the fans as well as the technical department.
“That same year we went on to win the Castle Cup and I scored the winning penalty in the penalty shootout that came after a deadlock between Tanganda and CAPS United,” he said.
Apparently, Chapoterara had also scored the opening goal in that match at the giant National Sports Stadium before CAPS United equalised to let the match head for penalty shootout.
His was a short yet eventful career in the top flight league that was eventually ended by injury in 1998.
Online Reporter