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Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
VASSILI Kawe says the current term is easily his best season since making his Castle Lager Premier Soccer League debut with Hwange in 2019.
The Simba Bhora midfielder has been an ever-present feature in the often-rotated Shamva outfit.
Tonderai Ndiraya’s charges are this year mounting a strong chase for a possible maiden championship title.
His conviction in the midfield engine room has been, in huge part, one of Simba Bhora’s biggest weapons this year.
Kawe, who has scored two goals and provided as many assists for the Ndiraya’s men, has mainly built his profile around tough-tackling and putting ultra-energy in his game for his lack of fanciness.
A bit-part player at Hwange and ZPC Kariba between 2019 and 2022, Kawe credits Ndiraya for transforming him into the beast he has become.
“I am really happy with the way I am performing right now.
“I give it to my teammates and my coach, Tonderai Ndiraya.
“I am always training as my aim is always to do well in the field of play.
“The environment at Simba Bhora makes it easy for me to flourish. The players have an incredible attitude and you are always inspired to put in more work because everyone is keen to succeed.
“That makes it very easy for one to fit in a system that has hard workers. In the end, we need to stand up and be counted as a team and that is precisely the reason why we always put in extra effort.”
Kawe said his toughness could be a manifestation of what he had to go through during his formative years at Aces Youth Soccer Academy and at home.
“One thing about me is that I am a fighter. I grew up in tough conditions where I had to fight for everything. With a single mother taking care of five of us all in a single room in Glen Norah, I learnt how to endure adversity when I was still very young.”
Kawe revealed that circumstances almost forced him to leave school.
“I almost dropped out of school at Grade 7 due to financial difficulties which even led me to stay home when my colleagues proceeded to Form 1.
“I was only rescued by a well-wisher who started paying school fees for me because he realised that I had potential in football.
“When I joined AYSA, I was an undercard and I will tell you that for the four years that I was there, I didn’t start more than two games.
“Even my mother once asked me to stop going there because every time she decided to attend matches, I would be on the bench.
“That also pushed me to fight hard and all you are seeing me doing at Simba Bhora right now was inspired by that. I would like to thank AYSA for shaping me and giving me the hunger that now defines me as a player.”
Kawe added that Simba Bhora have the potential to win the league title this season although he acknowledged that they will have to be relentlessly brutal given the competition at the top.
Simba Bhora are currently third on the Premiership log standings and five points behind leaders FC Platinum who have 38 points.
And Kawe will be hoping for another fine afternoon when Simba Bhora makes the long trip to Chisumbanje on Saturday to face GreenFuel.
Online Reporter