adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
YOUTHFUL national team shotstopper Tatenda Mukuruva has urged his teammates to put aside the turbulence threatening to rock the Warriors’ camp sparked by the withdrawal of a financier Wicknel Chivhayo and stay focused on the task at hand to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
The 20 year old, who has featured in senior national team colours for about seven times so far, has been a revelation for the Warriors, producing match winning performances each time he is thrust between the sticks.
That he was in the thick of things as Warriors hurtled to an impressive away triumph over Malawi in Group L opener and went on to miss the match against Guinea when Washington Arubi’s second minute blunder cost the nation a well deserved win, serves to justify the decision to keep the former Prince Edward student as the Warriors’ first choice goalkeeper.
Mukuruva, who is undertaking a Diploma in Business Studies apart from his football commitments, was part of the team that trounced Swaziland at the giant National Sports Stadium a fortnight ago, giving credence to the school of thought that proffers that apart from his goalkeeping talents, the youngster has Lady Luck on his side.
“I think we just need to remain focused. Football politics is not for us. All we need to do is to keep fighting for good results on the field of play and that is our job as players.
“I will not comment about the politics of who is right and who is wrong. All I can say is that we as players just need to remain focused to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. That’s all,’ said the soft spoken goalkeeper.
Mukuruva said he is confident that the current crop of players and coaches has what it takes to qualify for Afcon 2017.
“I have no doubt that we can qualify. We only need to keep that team intact. We have talented players who can make the nation proud by qualifying for Afcon 2017. It is my dream to play at Afcon and I would be happy if we manage to go that far,” he said.
About his future plans: “I hope to play in Europe one day. I know that is the dream of every other player in the domestic league or those in the ABSA Premiership but I honestly also have the dream of playing in Europe.
“I am also studying Business Studies apart from my football commitments,” he said.
Mukuruva became one of the youngest goalkeepers to play for the Dynamos senior team in the Premier Soccer League .
He did his ‘A’ level studies at Prince Edward School and represented Zimbabwe’s Young Warriors Under 23 Young Warriors squad against Morocco in November 2014.
He has also featured for the senior national side under the guidance of Callisto Pasuwa and was part of the history making under 23 side that made history by qualifying for the All Africa Games for the first time since the nation hosted the games in 1995.
Mukuruva started playing as a goalkeeper at primary education level, and went on to be the Prince Edward team goalkeeper in his third year in high school.
He joined Friendly Academy, a football academy which was founded by Richard Solobala and junior football coach Partridge Muskwe where grew to claim the Dynamos first choice sport after the injury of Artwell Mukandi.
In 2014 the presence of Tonderai Ndiraya, former member of Dynamos coaching staff helped Mukuruva push his career to higher levels.
In his first season in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League Mukuruva helped Dynamos to win its 21st league title.
Online Reporter