Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HUNTERS need Denver Mukamba at Ngoni Stadium this afternoon.
They are fighting relegation and their Chibuku Super Cup tie against Herentals offers some relief from a difficult league campaign. Few players in their squad possess Mukamba’s experience or ability to influence a knockout match.
But Hunters have prepared for Herentals without him.
The 2012 Soccer Star of the Year has not reported for training for several weeks. Zimpapers Sports Hub understands Mukamba initially told the club that he was suffering from a toothache and was granted time off. When he had not returned a fortnight later, Hunters contacted him again. This time, he said he had lost a relative and was attending the funeral.
He still did not report back.
Coach Nesbert Saruchera still expects him to return.
“Mukamba is still one of us. He is part of the team and will be back soon,” said Saruchera. Mukamba also insists that his time at Hunters is not over.
“I am still one of the very few great talents in the game. I have a lot to offer for the next three or four years and retirement is not yet on my list,” he told Zimpapers Sports Hub.
“I will soon be back. I am still with Hunters, although I am currently busy with other commitments.”
Zimpapers Sports Hub understands that Mukamba has been spending time in Highfield, where he has been helping his uncle, former footballer Clive Kawinga and former striker Roderick Mutuma train youngsters.
His absence has left Hunters facing a question familiar to several of his former clubs. Mukamba’s availability tests their patience. His talent persuades them to wait. More than a decade after he announced himself in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), there has never been much debate about what he can do with the ball. At his best, Mukamba sees passes others miss and can change the direction of a match with one touch.
Even after losing some of his pace, he remains capable of controlling a game and lifting a crowd. His artistry earned him the nickname “Baba Dhodho”, short for “Baba Dhoiri”, a reference to the decorative doilies once found in many homes.
Supporters have remained fiercely loyal to him. When he returns after an absence, they gather to greet him as he leaves the pitch and sometimes hand him money in what became known as the “Sunday offering”.
His performances have often made earlier absences and disciplinary problems easier for supporters to forgive.
Ngezi Platinum Stars ended his contract by mutual consent early in 2023, with a year still to run.
His departure followed two appearances before the club’s disciplinary committee. Mukamba returned to Dynamos later that year before joining Scottland midway through the 2024 Northern Region Soccer League season.
He played an important role in Scottland’s promotion to the PSL, but missed their final three matches of the campaign. Scottland did not retain him for their top-flight debut in 2025.
Mukamba remained out of football until Dynamos called midway through the season. He helped the Glamour Boys in their fight against relegation and contributed to their progress in the Chibuku Super Cup.
But he was absent from their preparations for the final during a turbulent period in which players were also pressing the club over outstanding bonuses.
Dynamos went on to win the cup for the third successive year without him.
They also secured their PSL status by beating FC Platinum 1-0 at Rufaro Stadium on the final day, again without Mukamba. Hunters offered him another opportunity early this year, when most clubs were already completing their pre-season preparations.
Now, with Hunters fighting to retain their PSL place and beginning their Chibuku Super Cup campaign, he is absent again. Saruchera still expects him back and Mukamba says he will return.
Zimbabwean football has heard that promise before and kept believing because of what Mukamba can still produce on the field. At Ngoni Stadium this afternoon, Hunters need more than the promise.
Get rid of this misfit from our football forever. At his age, he shouldn’t be seen around doing all these antics. We have youngsters to groom into career footballers and such trash must not be allowed to spoil their development regardless of the talent it possesses. What training and influence do Mukamba and Mutuma give to young players when their own football histories are checkered with notoriety? Parents, be warned. If you want your children to successfully pursue football careers keep them very far away from these two shaddy characters. They are dangerous to young people. It’s public knowledge.