Tadious Manyepo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
Dynamos goalkeeper Martin Mapisa has admitted that he feared his career would go down after taking a gamble to play in the local league.
The gangly Warriors 'keeper joined the Glamour Boys after close to six years of hopping in the Spanish lower league teams.
He went straight to the European country from the nursery that nurtured him Aces Youth Soccer Academy and had never been tasted in the domestic front.
And that was driving his doubts as he signed for the Glamour Boys with so much put on his shoulders.
But he has proved to be the man for the big team and on big occasions after leading Dynamos to their second Chibuku Super Cup title in a huge way after playing crucial roles, lifting the giants with key saves in penalty shoot-outs.
Dynamos completed a remarkable tale on Saturday after beating Ngezi Platinum Stars 4-2 on penalties, the match having ended 1-1 after 120 minutes of reverting action. It is the first time, at least this century, that a team goes all the way to lift a trophy after winning the quarter-final, semi-final, and final in a penalty shoot-out. Mapisa went down to stop two penalties on Saturday, denying Moses Demera and Farai Madhanaga, having also smothered Forster Dhemere's effort when Dynamos beat Manica Diamonds in the last four. The Glamour Boys had also beaten Yadah in the quarter-finals on penalties when one of Mapisa's deputies Tatenda Makoni emerged the hero with a save in the lottery to hand Dynamos the advantage.
"I would like to thank God. God is the only way because, without him, I could have gone down given that I was coming down from Europe," said Mapisa.
"Football is a tricky game and I always feared I would drop in terms of confidence given where I was coming from as a goalkeeper.
"I am happy I managed to stand my ground and be able to establish and firm up myself in the Dynamos set-up. Like what I said early in the season, I came back home to be able to re-launch my career and try to go back to Europe from a better status point of view."
On winning the Chibuku Super Cup and emerging the hero in the penalty shoot-outs, Mapisa said;
"It's amazing to win a cup obviously, big or small. We have been phenomenal in this Chibuku Super Cup, knocking out teams with a real show of gallant fighters.
"We knocked each opponent in the quarter and semi-finals on penalties and we did it again in the final. And to win the trophy in such a manner is very amazing.
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"To be the one who stood tall to take down the penalties is also exciting. There is a trick that I was applying. If you look at players whose penalties I stopped, I know them all.
"I have my own tricks, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't but I am glad they worked in this case.
"The time that one puts the ball on the spot, I look at the direction of their eyes as they lift their heads and that is the side to dive."
The perfection Dynamos are displaying in penalty lotteries could just be the sign they love the most after they were knocked out of the CAF Confederation Cup via the shoot-out by Botswana side Orapa United.
They will be representing the country in the same competition next year by virtue of winning the biggest knock-out tournament in the domestic scene.
And their coach Lloyd "Mablanyo" Chigowe can only hope for the best as the Glamour Boys brace for the new league and a second dance in the CAF Confederation Cup for the second consecutive time.
