BY SPORTSCAST WRITER
HARARE – Justin Mucheri met Khama Billiat in Ugandan capital Kampala on Thursday – as Zimbabwe’s footballers made last preparations to clash with Kenya in both teams’ opening Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday.
What are the chances that you’ve been away from home for over a decade, and in two months you get so close up, at the same place, to your country’s most gifted sportsmen in the nation’s major sporting disciplines?
Zimbabwean Mucheri, who has lived in Uganda for over 10 years, has been taking time off work alongside his fellow countrymen resident in Kampala to cheer their sports stars from home whenever they are in town.
On Thursday, Mucheri took a selfie with amongst others a smiley Khama Billiat – Zimbabwean football’s returning poster-boy – at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole, Kampala.
Just over a month ago, Mucheri had the same encounter with another sensation of the same kind of skill-set – albeit in a different sport.
Free-flowing Sables backline ace Tapiwa Mafura was the player-of-the tournament when Zimbabwe clinched the Rugby Africa Cup in Kampala in July.
“I find them all very humble, despite their celebrity status, so I resonate with both,” Mucheri tells SportsCast.
“And they are both ballers. Khama dribbles with the same deftness that Taps sells dummies to opponents.
“I think having attended all matches, the boys get to recognise faces of consistent supporters, and connect. Not taking anything away from the football guys, they are a nice bunch of lads too: just that the rugby guys tend to be more sociable, because their sport allows them the time to do that.”
Warriors coach Michael Nees gives his team a pep-talk after a practice session at the Mandela National Stadium ‘B’ arena in Kampala on Thursday (above) and (below) the Sables technical department pose at the same ground after Zimbabwe beat Namibia in the Rugby Africa Cup semi-finals July.
Interestingly, the Zimbabwean football team has been practicing at a training ground that hosted the Rugby Africa Cup in July, a well-manicured pitch next to the main Mandela Stadium arena where the Warriors will take on Kenya this afternoon and then Cameroon four days later.
“Namboole has become our winning ground, the Sables played some very good rugby here, this is our fortress” said Mucheri, who hails from Norton and grew up in Harare.
“The Warriors should follow suit.”
