Mukamba on the rise

three months, he has risen from an ordinary player to a full Zimbabwe internatio-nal and a key member of the DeMbare outfit.
The player, who turned 18 on December 21 last year, never dreamt of being on the grand stage so early after spending a season with little Kiglon in the Premiership last season.
But Mukamba has transformed from playing junior football for Dickson Choto’s DC Academy and joining Kiglon to become a member of the Warriors’ African Nations Championships squad and now to DeMbare’s Champions League side.
Those performances for the Warriors and Dynamos were preceded by appearances in two national age group teams at the Cosafa Under-20 tournament and the Under-23 All-Africa Games side. It appears Mukamba’s star continues to shine brighter with each passing game as, on Sunday, he made his Champions League debut in Dynamos colours which he capped with a man-of-the match performance.
Mukamba’s wonder goal and Dynamos’ third on the afternoon was the stuff that defines artistic players.
Although he had been brilliant in the pre-season tournaments in which he had featured for DeMbare, it needed the Champions League clash against Algerian giants MC Alger for Mukamba to announce his entry on the grand stage.
A dummy and a cheeky body swerve on the left flank, which left two MC Alger defenders getting into each other’s way, had a packed Rufaro on its feet in appreciation.
It came as no surprise too when Rufaro gave him a standing ovation when his coach Lloyd Mutasa felt he had done enough damage on the afternoon and rested him with two minutes remaining. In scoring his goal Mukamba received a pass on the edge of the box, took one step forward beating his first marker, he then sent two other defenders the wrong way when he feigned a move to the right before switching the ball to his left and pulling the trigger.
The effort was marked goal from the time it left Mukamba’s left foot and not even MC Alger’s national team goalkeeper Mohamed Zemmouche could do anything to stop it.
“It makes me feel perfect because I always practice hard to shoot inside the box. Scoring from that position has become a lot easier for me and I always want to repeat that again and again.
“I think the more I score from inside the box it is also helping me gain confidence.
“Above all, it was good we played as a team and won by a big margin, which makes our work easier in the return leg.
“It wasn’t an easy match (on Sunday) because MC Alger have more experience than most of us but I am happy we won. We now need to maintain the momentum,” said Mukamba.
The midfielder also helped the Under-20 team finish third at the Cosafa tournament in Botswana last November and was the tournament’s second best goalscorer with four goals.
Mukamba then scored twice for the Under-23 side to help them top victory over Zambia.
It has been a meteoric rise for Mukamba who grew up in the Lusaka Lines in Harare’s high-density suburb of Highfield in the care of his grandmother. The young midfielder has seen most of his teammates from Mutasa Primary School and Mukai High Schools in Highfield falling by the wayside due to alcohol and drug abuse.
Mukamba reckons that he still has a long way to go but believes it was the season at Kiglon that was the turning point for him.
“Maybe, I can say 2010 was my (best) year because a lot of good things happened to me.
“Yes, it might have been tough – not getting paid at Kiglon and with the family expecting me to bring something home – but I knew it would pass if I remain focussed and dedicated to my game. Tribute goes to my coach Lloyd Mutasa. When we were at Kiglon he told me not to despair but to show what I am capable of doing on the pitch. He has played football at the highest level and knows better.
“Times were tough but there was team spirit. The senior players would complain about money but we were encouraged to work harder and told that greater things would come.
“And now I can see everything is beginning to shape up. I have just joined one of the big clubs in Zimbabwe, playing for the Young Warriors and I recently played for the national team at the CHAN tournament in Sudan.
“Even at home it was difficult, but they stood by me and everyone is happy seeing me going out of the country to play for Zimbabwe,” Mukamba said.
Mukamba was spotted by the coach of the DC Academy, Newton Chitewe, when he was playing football at Mukai High in Highfield and went on to form the core of the academy’s team which was established in 2007. Mukamba believes that working under Mutasa, himself a, stylish midfielder in his playing days, has helped him to quickly transform into a better player.
“Our coaches have faith in young players and gave us game time and they would tell us football is the same when playing the so-called big teams. Mukamba also owes a lot to his grandmother who looked after him following the death of his mother when he was still young. I am the first born and I have two young sisters. I grew up under the care of my grandmother (his mother’s mother) and I think it is now her time to also enjoy the fruits of her sweat.
“It is my wish to do well and take care of her,” said Mukamba.