Online Reporter
Blessing Malinganiza
Zimpapers Sports Hub
FOR most young footballers, patience is a virtue.
You can train harder than anyone else, stay behind after training and still spend matchdays watching from the bench.
For Tawanda Chirewa, this is not punishment — it is preparation.
The Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, who also represents Zimbabwe, speaks about his limited game time with a mix of honesty and maturity rare for someone his age.
“It’s a difficult one, of course, because I am not playing every week,” he says.
“But it’s something I knew could happen. I have to stay patient and just continue to focus on the things I can control — my training and my personal work.”
That quiet discipline defines him. While many would sulk or seek a move, Chirewa stays locked in, trusting the work behind the scenes will pay off.
Football, he believes, always rewards persistence. Change has swept through Wolves, with Gary O’Neil now in charge.
“It’s a big change for everyone, but something I am looking forward to,” he says.
“I can’t wait to meet the new staff, try to impress him and get into the team. The biggest challenge is to try and get into the starting 11; that’s everyone’s goal.”
Back home, Zimbabwe’s national team is going through its own reset.
The Warriors, with new coach Marian ‘Mario’ Marinica at the helm, are working to turn raw potential into real progress.
Chirewa’s faith in the project is firm.
“It’s something we are working on improving, and I have no doubt that we will improve and start picking up wins,” he says.
“It was not entirely expected, but now it’s here. We have to progress fast. I am just looking forward to meeting him and understanding his vision for the team.”
For him, representing Zimbabwe is not just about football; it is about belief.
“One hundred percent, I have no doubt that we will have a great AFCON, God willing.”
Chirewa’s confidence comes not from arrogance, but conviction.
It is rooted in faith, in the understanding that his moment, like his country’s, will arrive when preparation meets opportunity.
There is also the bond with Motherwell forward Tawanda Maswanhise, a partnership that hints at what Zimbabwe’s attack could look like in the near future.
“I see it as very, very bright. Tawanda is a top, top player and someone I am very close to. You can see that chemistry when we play together,” Chirewa says, a smile breaking through his otherwise calm demeanour.
Together, they embody the future the Warriors have been searching for — fearless, technical, modern footballers who grew up abroad but still feel the heartbeat of home.
“We have had some big moments in a young career already, but all we want is for the country to progress and be at the World Cup. We will work to achieve that with all our teammates,” Chirewa says.
“After this AFCON, the crop of players we have can really create history.”
There is a calm fire about him.
You sense it in how he speaks — no complaints, no excuses, just belief.
He is not chasing headlines or demanding attention.
He is learning, waiting, preparing.
And when the door opens, he will be ready to step through.
“I see myself wherever God puts me. All I know is that where there is a will, there is a way.”
