Mushekwi donates US$25k boots to CAPS Utd

FORMER CAPS United striker Nyasha

Mushekwi has donated football boots estimated at over US$25 000 to his ex-club ahead of the 2024 Castle Lager Premiership season next month.

The former Warriors forward took time to visit the Green Machine family at their training base in Harare on Saturday and handed over more than 60 pairs of football boots to the players.

He also told the players to value their careers as they could walk the same path he has walked in his rewarding football journey.

Mushekwi first arrived at Makepekepe as a raw striker given his basketball background but he quickly got down to work and grew to become an accomplished goal scorer.

He would soon attract interest from South African teams where he sparkled in the colours of Mamelodi Sundowns before he was snatched in China.

He has donated several items to the Green Machine including purchasing a luxury bus for the team some three years ago.

And CAPS United owner, Farai Jere has hailed Mushekwi for his heart that continues to change the club for the better.

“Nyasha Mushekwi is something else. His heart is warm. I have never seen any-thing like that. I have met so many good people but he stands head and shoulders above the rest. Since he left CAPS United he has never forgotten about the team,” said Jere.

“He is always speaking highly about CAPS United, the opportunity the team gave him. I don’t know how to describe him. Wherever he is, he is always thinking about the team. He always speaks to me saying he cherishes the life-changing chance that he was given by CAPS United.

“He always tells me how CAPS United transformed him from being a basketball player to be a footballer. He is very grateful”. Growing up under the custody of his grandmother, who didn’t want him to play football fearing that he would get injured, the bustling striker worked his way up in a short period of time.

And Jere believes it is his late grandmother who gave him the heart he has.

“We would like to thank those who brought up this boy especially his late grandmother. “His love is something else. Most of the players he played with at CAPS United are working for him at his company in South Africa.

“He wanted to make it a surprise for me (donating the football boots) but I was already in my constituency doing something in Murehwa. Nyasha is always there for the team in good and bad times.

“I almost cried when I came back to see that everyone at the time got something including those who came to watch the team training. He brought at least 60 pairs of the soccer boots, real boots with a value of at least US$340 per pair. It’s a donation which you can’t find anywhere every day. We are talking of something between US$25 000 to US$35 000 which he poured to the team if we are to put it into monetary terms.

“He deserves a special place in the CAPS United family. I am very happy with the gesture done by Mushekwi. Just imagine he flew in only for that. It means he values this team a lot. I am very grateful as the president of the club. Sometimes I look at it and say maybe this is why he is where he is now”.

Mushekwi is not only remembering the current players at his own team but his former teammates at the club as well, most of whom he employs at his South Africa-based company.

ZIMBABWEAN motorbike rider Ashley Thixton received a hero’s welcome as he returned home from a successful outing at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia yesterday.

Thixton managed to last the full distance at Dakar 2024 rally finishing on position 32.

Thixton said he was happy to have done the nation proud and will take a rest after two weeks of hard work.

‘I am very happy to be back home and it was such an experience. I enjoyed every moment in Saudi Arabia.

“It’s a dream come true. It really is something that means a lot . . . It’s not easy to get but now I’ve got it.

“I had the privilege of doing it, the privilege of putting myself through it, having people following it with me. I am happy for the support I got from everyone and as you can see there are many people, who have come here to welcome me which shows that I had the support. I am now looking forward to do it again next year.

“For the mean time I am going to take a break and relax as this has been a long two weeks of hard work,” said Thixton.

He became the second Zimbabwean to complete the full distance of the tough two-week Dakar Rally after Graeme Sharp, who achieved this feat in 2020.

Thixton came 20th in the 12th and final stage last Thursady for an overall position of 32 in the bikes section of the 2024 Dakar Rally. In motorsport, Thixton has joined the class of retired motor rally driver Jamie Whyte and his co-driver Phil Archenoul who won the African Championship

back-to-back in 2009 and 2010.

And there’s also Mano Zevgolis who has been a dominant force in the local drag racing, main circuit racing and three-hour Endurance Race events.

Ashley’s father, Travor Thixton who accompanied him to Saudi Arabia, said he was happy with his son’s performance in his inaugural appearance at the world stage.

‘I am happy for Ashy. It was a good outing and we enjoyed every moment when we were in Saudi Arabia.

“I am hopeful he will continue to work hard and improve his perfomances,” he said.

The winner of Dakar 2024 was the American Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda Team) — this is his second triumph in the race, repeating his success in 2020.

The Honda factory team has won the third Dakar title in the last five years — in 2020, 2021 and 2024.

Botswana’s Ross Branch of the Hero Motosports Team Rally finished second, the highest achievement of his career (his previous personal best was 13th position at his debut Dakar 2019).

The second position was also the highest achievement for the Indian brand Hero — this is the first podium in its history at Dakar.

Frenchman Adrien van Bevere’s third place (Monster Energy Honda Team) was his personal best at the Dakar — he previously finished fourth in 2017 and 2022.

Indian Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Factory) became the winner in the Rally2 class and was almost five minutes ahead of last year’s winner, Frenchman Romain Dumontier on a Husqvarna.