admin
Veronica Gwaze
Sports Reporter
SHE may not be the top goal scorer at her club, Correctional Queens or The Heart League but Marjory Nyaumwe simply has a way of carrying her team’s hopes on her shoulders at crucial moments.
At the weekend, she was on target with an important goal for the prison side, adding to an own goal by visitors, Highlanders Royals for a 2-0 victory.
This took the former Mufakose Queens and Mighty Warriors star’s tally to 11 goals so far this season.
“My mission is never really about personal glory but being an important member on the team, so I always work hard to be that person whom everyone can count on in key moments,” she said.
“Throughout my career, this has been my motivating factor and I am glad it has always worked because there is nothing as fulfilling as giving your team important goals in key times.”
Last season, Nyaumwe was crowned Correctional Queens’ Top Goal Scorer with 32 goals to her name.
She was instrumental in her side finishing fourth in the league with 63 points, behind Herentals, Black Rhinos and Chapungu who led the race with 72, 67 and 66 points in that order.
The prison officer has played for Correctional Queens since 2013 and was also a vital cog in the trailblazing Mighty Warriors engine room when they featured at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Although she is now past her prime, the 37-year-old Honde Valley born star feels that she still has more to offer in the game.
“Football gave me a life and for years, my whole life basically revolves around the game, I can’t picture myself without football in the image,” said the correctional officer.
“It has been decades of passion and pain for me and the other female footballers because for a long time we played just for the love of the game and little to no monetary gains.”
Nyaumwe still has memories of the Rio de Janeiro experience.
She said it still feels like a dream she, eight years later, cannot wake up from.
“It is still hard to believe because I never imagined myself coming from Honde Valley to ever playing at that level with the entire world watching us,” she said.
“Being the tournament underdogs, we knew what we were getting into so we agreed that we were not going to focus on the tag…all we wanted was to play our hearts out and enjoy the opportunity.
“We thought it was a life changing opportunity but unfortunately nothing changed, we got back with pretty much nothing to show for it, there were no meaningful rewards.”
Nyaumwe feels that the coming of The Heart League and the financial pledge they came with could breathe new life to the women’s game.
She said the ‘new’ league has restored hope in female footballers who have for long suffered in silence.
“Landing such a deal shows that as women football we are no longer in the shadows,” she said.
“This is the opportunity for us to expand and popularise the game, at least now as a player, each one of us is able to fully focus on improving our game without diverting attention.
“Personally I am aiming to improve my goal tally, from where I am coming from, I know anything is possible.”
Today, Nyaumwe has to play a key role when her side plays away to police outfit Black Mambas Queens at Mkushi grounds.
“We are now motivated, there is something to play for so we are expecting more competition and I believe next season, things will have totally changed for the good,” she said.
“We are not taking this fixture lightly because our aim is to improve from last season’s position, we are looking for something better than fourth position so we need all the points.”
Today Fixtures (All matches kick off at 11 AM)
Conduit Soccer Academy vs Herentals Queens (Mudhindo grounds; Black Rhinos vs Faith Drive (The Heart Stadium); Sheasham vs Chapungu (Gweru Sports Club); Harare City vs Platinum Royals (Motor Action) ; Highlanders Royals vs Hope Academy (Highlanders Sports Club) ; MSU Queens vs ZRP Harare Queens (MSU Grounds)
Online Reporter