Unsung DeMbare hero
CAPS UNITED central midfielder Devon Chafa is married to a staunch Dynamos supporter. His mother also supports Dynamos. In fact, everyone in his family believes DeMbare is the real deal.
And one would expect the midfielder, who also played for Dynamos, to be a fan of the club.
“I don’t support any team; I am a footballer and work for football clubs. As for my wife and family being Dynamos supporters that really does not matter to me, they are fans and I am a player.
“I always play to win and in the Harare Derby all my efforts will be towards making Caps United victorious,” said the Makepekepe linkman.
Whilst her husband is going for a win this afternoon Caroline Hungwe is praying for a draw.
“I do not know which team to support because Caps United is where my husband is employed and Dynamos is the team I have always supported.
“It’s a tricky situation for me. As a wife I have to be there for my husband while at the same time I cannot stand a Dynamos defeat. I guess a draw will be fair,” she said.
Mrs Chafa revealed how the two “rivals” get on with life in the build-up to the Harare Derby.
“Before the game we do not discuss anything about it, unlike in other cases where Caps United will be playing another team.
“The reason why we do not discuss the match before it is played is because I don’t want to put him under any pressure because this game comes with its own demands.
“But after the game we talk about everything and I remember last year when Caps United finally beat us, my husband was very happy and I was on the receiving end of his jokes,” she said. Interestingly, Chafa’s wife comes from a Caps United supporting family and grew up vowing never to wear green.
“Because I am a Dynamos fan naturally I don’t like Caps United and Highlanders because they are our sworn enemies.
“Sometimes I wear the Makepekepe jersey just to show support to my husband but to be honest I won’t be feeling comfortable,” she said.
Meanwhile, Chafa’s mother, Hellen Chigohwe, revealed that she will dump her favourite NSS Bay and watch the derby from the VIP tribune.
“I don’t want to hear the insults that my fellow Dynamos fans will hurl at my son so I will be sitting in the VIP section although it’s not my favourite place to watch a game from,” she said.
“It’s only natural that Devon is a target of such boos because he played for Dynamos before and in football that is something we have to expect.
“As a mother I will be praying that he does well but one thing for sure is I want a Dynamos win. We want to win the league title this year and this is a must-win game.”
Chafa reckons his mum and the rest of the DeMbare fans are in for some disappointment.
“I never want to disappoint my dear mother but this year we will collect six points from them.
“It must be remembered that they are playing the champions at the NSS. I am sorry, but the whole country will not be happy after the final whistle,” said the Caps United man. HE IS not the most vocal player in the Dynamos dressing room.
Even when the choirmaster Peace Makaha leads the singing on the team bus he never joins in, preferring to concentrate on the upcoming task.
However, everyone at DeMbare seems to respect him and vice captain Obey Mwerahari calls him the unsung hero while coach Lloyd Mutasa sees this linkman as a vital cog of an engine he assembled from scratch back in February.
This one Chipunza!
Chipunza to have featured Dynamos’ 21 this season comes this the Harare at the is about Tichaona is the only player in all of league matches but his major test afternoon when Derby explodes National Sports Stadium. “These are the kinds of games that can make or break a player,” conceded the 22-yearold midfielder. “You know people always say every game is the same but that is not true. This one is different. Even at training the intensity goes a gear up when we are preparing to face Caps United. “DeMbare can lose to any other team but not Caps United. We do not want to hurt our supporters, so we are ready to die on the pitch.” Some of Chipunza’s teammates call him “Kroos”, because they claim to see similarities in his play with that of Real Madrid’s German star Toni Kroos. Others simply call him “General” because of the way he commands the midfield area. Mutasa simply calls him Ticha. “Ticha is a very important member of the team. He has done so well, he has played in every game and his very consistent … more is coming from him,” said the Dynamos coach. Chipunza provides that defensive shield when Dynamos are on the back foot and also comes up with those long-range passes when the team is on the break. His contribution has not escaped his teammates. “Chipunza is a bit reserved but we all know and appreciate how valuable he is to the team. He is the team’s unsung hero,” revealed Mwerahari. In a year that he got married to his sweetheart Linnet Hamu Vhutuza who is also expecting Chipunza wants to cap the 2017 season in style. “I got married in March, my wife is pregnant and I know that more responsibilities are coming my way so I need to work hard. “Winning the championship with DeMbare would cap a fine year for me, you see. That also comes with more financial benefits,” said Chipunza. The midfielder believes the title is Dynamos’ to lose. “What makes us favourites for title is that we are a team and that helps lot because even on away assignments
the big us a we are more like at home. Our fans always follow us everywhere we go. We only have to push more, focus and win our games,” he said.
Chipunza joined Dynamos from Triangle at the beginning of the 2016 season but nearly quit the Glamour Boys midway through.
Lack of game time under Portuguese coach Paolo Jorge Silva frustrated him.
“Had it not been for ‘Father’ (Mutasa) I would have left in July last season but the coach sat me down and told me about his plans, imploring me to be patient.
“Mutasa is a true father, he helps players both on and off the pitch. He is one coach who will even discuss zvekumba (family issues) with us.
“I am blessed to have worked with a coach like him, the other plus is that coach Zuze (Biggie) is also here and they both love the passing game.”
The DC Academy product relishes midfield battles and is ruing the absence of Ronald “Rooney” Chitiyo from the Caps United team.
Chitiyo sealed a deal with Tunisian side CS Sfaxien in early August.
“I have played against numerous attacking linkmen but I can single out Chitiyo as the best. Pascal Manhanga of How Mine is also dangerous; they are both short and quick.
“But I would have loved to face ‘Rooney’ to prove a point. That is the essence of the game, competition, it makes us better players,” Chipunza said.
His football career started in Chitungwiza at Seke 5 Primary School before he moved to Zengeza 4 High where a local team Sharp Shooters noticed his talent.
Chipunza was then taken to Darlington Choto’s DC Academy in 2011 and when Triangle got promoted into the top-flight in 2013 the anchorman moved to the Lowveld.
He had a brilliant season under Kaindu at Triangle in 2015 but a massive player exodus at the end of that term forced him to abandon the Sugar Boys for DeMbare where his current contract expires
on December 31.