Mighty Warriors ’keeper
Shonga finds new home in SA
MIGHTY Warriors’ trusted goalkeeper Cynthia Shonga, who was on the verge of quitting the game, has secured a move to South Africa Women’s side Richmond United.
Although she is yet to secure her international clearance, Shonga is already in the neighbouring country, training with the team, after completing most of the paperwork.
“The move came when I least expected it. I had almost given up on football because the burden of playing for nothing in return was weighing me down,” said Shonga.
“Honestly, I was hurting and confused at the same time, unsure if I would abandon the game just like that.
“So, when I made the Herentals move, I was at sixes and sevens.
“Maybe it was God’s plan for me to go through tough times before blessing me with something bigger.”
The celebrated goalie had hogged the limelight earlier this year when she announced that she was quitting the game.
Shonga was tormented by remuneration issues at her previous club, Harare City.
Her contract with the club expired last year and she revealed that she is owed several months’ dues.
Despite hinting at premature retirement, Shonga secured a move to reigning Women Soccer League champions Herentals Queens in February.
However, with the ZWSL 2024 season yet to start, the 24-year-old star had to leave for the Hollywoodbets Super League side without kicking the ball for the ‘School Girls’.
The Faith Drive Academy and Nyamauru High School product burst onto the scene in 2018, when she made her international debut at the Region V Games in Botswana.
In 2019, she made her COSAFA Under20 Women debut under the mentorship of Rosemary Mugadza.
She played a key role in the Young
Mighty Warriors’ fight to the semi-finals after beating Namibia 4-0 in the quarter-finals.
Last year, when the Mighty Warriors returned to action after an 18-month FIFA ban, Shonga became the team’s first-choice goalkeeper and stamped her authority at the COSAFA Women’s Cup in South Africa.
At the contest which was eventually won by Malawi, Shonga bagged the tournament’s Golden Glove and a monetary prize of R20 000.
She conceded two goals in four games and kept two clean sheets in the opening two games against Lesotho and Namibia respectively.
Soon after the tournament, countless suitors expressed interest in her services.
However, she was soon to lose hope as the momentum died down and no one from abroad seemed interested in her services.
As a result, she gave up on the hopes of ever making it in life, with football.
“I thought it was never going to work out because the first few days we got back from COSAFA several clubs seemed interested and when suddenly everything went quiet, I thought of the worst,” she said.
“I love football; it gave me life when all hope was lost so all I ever dream of is having a good time between the sticks.
“This is what I want to do here; I just want to enjoy the game.
“Right now, I am waiting for my international clearance, I was told to wait until the authorities return from Malawi (Four Nations Tournament) for them to finalise it.”
Shonga, who has been under assessment for a week, is ready for competitive games.
“I have been training with them for a week and some days now, I had to quickly adjust and master their way of doing business.
“My hope is renewed now, it would have been tough for me to just give up like that considering that football is all there is to my life,” she said.