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Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
A “GOLDEN handshake’’ to the Mighty Warriors by President Mugabe saw Marjory Nyaumwe firmly start her football journey as her hitherto disapproving parents finally acceded to her request to take up the sport professionally.
After achieving not so pleasing grades in her Ordinary Level results, Nyaumwe’s mother put the blame on her focus on football and told her to look for a proper, high paying career rather than pursuing a sport that might not even reward her.
As an obedient daughter Marjory took a back seat from the game but she had nothing to fall on so she stayed at home the whole of 2010 but her heart was still in the game and she missed turning out for Mufakose Queens.
The following year, however, proved to have changed fortunes for her as she was called up to the Mighty Warriors that would compete in the Cosafa Cup and she did not hesitate to take up the opportunity although she knew this might court her mother’s ire.
After triumphing at the Cosafa Cup, the ladies’ team came back home to a heroes’ welcome and where President Mugabe gave the players and technical team a golden handshake, with each player receiving $4 000.
“After getting the financial rewards from the President, I went with it to my parents and from there on they believed I can earn a living through the game. I begged them to allow me to join camp for the tournament.
“I was prudent and responsible with the way I used the money and assisted them (her parents) in extending our home and this convinced them I could earn from the game as well. Previously they had banished me from soccer but it was something that I loved and I was not going to give up on it,” said Jeju, as she is called by her teammates.
The Mighty Warriors midfielder had joined Mufakose Queens as a teenager while still at Mufakose 1 Secondary School although her interest in the game started when she was a 10-year-old girl playing street soccer in the dusty streets of Budiriro with her agemates.
Although she had been called to join the team after showing interest when she was at Budiriro 5 Primary, being shy saw her avoid the game.
“Soccer started captivating me when I was in primary school but there was no girls’ team so I only played street soccer and one day when I saw Mufakose Queens I watched with a lot of interest and the coach asked me to come and join them but I ran away,” said Jeju.
After making a return to the game in 2011, she joined Aces Academy which was then playing in Division One but was still called up for national duty and in 2013, on 6 July, she moved to Zimbabwe Prisons Services side, Flame Lily.
Jeju has fought many midfield battles for the Mighty Warriors and vividly remembers the day they beat Egypt back in their home ground; although it was a friendly match, she came on as a substitute with the teams’ level at one-all with 20 minutes left.
With the home side dominating, she managed to change the game in the Mighty Warriors’ favour when she scored the winner.
Jeju said qualifying for the Rio Olympics was a dream come true for the girls as they had always harboured ambitions to achieve something great before hanging up their boots.
She said they would be heading to Brazil with confidence as they cannot afford to underestimate themselves.
“We qualified for the same competition, which means we face tough opposition to get there and I think we can still come up with shockers at the Olympics because we are highly under-rated and this can work in our favour,” Jeju added.
Nyaumwe, who celebrates her 29th birthday today, is single and lives in Budiriro, Harare.
@rasmthembo
Online Reporter