daniel chigunwe
Bruce Chikuni
Sports Reporter
HE was the Zimbabwe Under-20 team’s best player at the Four-Nation football tournament in Malawi in April.
And for his exploits, Denzel Washington Mapuwa has been rewarded with an inclusion in the Warriors squad for the 2024 COSAFA Cup tournament.
And the GreenFuel teenage sensation, who has previously represented his country at Under-17 level, has been showing massive signs that his form is the cloth that makes Warriors strikers.
The tall 19-year-old Legends Football Academy graduate and his Young Warriors may have left Malawi empty-handed, without a win and any silverware but for Mapuwa it had helped him showcase some of his huge potential.
Mapuwa scored three goals in the two matches that Zimbabwe played.
He will now get a chance to use the COSAFA tournament to convince interim Warriors coach Jairos Tapera and his selection panel that he is not only ready for the senior side but can also be a regular in the national team.
Commendably for Tapera, he has tried to give more local players, especially the youthful ones, a chance to use the COSAFA Cup to stake claims for places in the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup sides.
There have been indications from the Confederation of African Football that the AFCON qualifies will begin in September.
Apart from excelling for the Young Warriors, Mapuwa received some rave reviews last season, when he helped save GreenFuel from being swept away by the relegation waters in their Premiership debut season.
Mapuwa scored four times and registered eight assists last season.
He also finished just a vote behind Dynamos’ Elton Chikona, who took home the league’s Young Player of The Year accolade.
But with Chikona eventually being caught in an age-cheating scam, many felt the honour should have been bestowed on Mapuwa.
Mapuwa was naturally thrilled with his inclusion in the Warriors squad and told Zimpapers Sports Hub that he had been surprised with the news of his call-up.
“I am honoured with this recognition, it means a lot to me, to GreenFuel, and to Legends Academy where I was groomed.
“I’m looking forward to this challenge and this has made me realise my potential and I am going to keep raising the bar until I reach where I want to be.
“I wasn’t expecting this but God made it possible for me to be included and I am very grateful to everyone, who has been supporting my growth,’’ said Mapuwa.
It has been a good week for Legends Football Academy director and coach Farai Dhliwayo as another of his prodigies — Douglas Mapfumo — of Polokwane City, was named in the Warriors’ World Cup qualifiers squad.
The Warriors, who are using Orlando stadium as their home ground, will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign when hosting Lesotho on Friday in Johannesburg and then travelling to Bloemfontein four days later to face South Africa at Free State Stadium.
Mapfumo became the first Academy graduate to make the Warriors grade and within a week, Mapuwa joined his peer.
He joined Cape Town City in the South African Premiership directly from Legends Academy and without playing in the domestic top-flight league.
GreenFuel, who also provided midfielder Tinotenda Meki to the Warriors, are happy with the progress of their players, with club chairman Fredson Moyo, boasting that they “are building a monster in Mapuwa’’.
“Mapuwa is mature for his age and he is one player that we are proud to have at the club.
“He is very calm and he is very hungry to win even when he is not playing his attitude is impressive.
“He is doing a good job and his success is a testament that as GreenFuel we are also promoting the youngsters to be given a chance,’’ said Moyo.
Online Reporter