Barely six months after making a crack on to the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, Allan Chapinduka found himself wining and dining with the big boys.
The 19-year-old was last week crowned this season's PSL Rookie of the Year.
At a glamorous event in Harare, he joined Simba Bhora skipper Walter Musona, who was named the Soccer Star of the Year.
Highlanders' Lynoth Chikuhwa emerged as the first runner-up while Yadah Stars' Khama Billiat came out as the second runner-up.
Speaking to the publication after the crowning ceremony, Chapinduka was still short of words for what he described as a miracle of his life. "When the offer to join TelOne during the mid-season came, I did not think twice because I felt I was running out of time," he said.
"I had made a pledge to myself that by age 19, I had to be playing top-flight, and now I was already at that stage, but yet to make it to top-flight, so a part of me was slowly giving up.
"So when the offer came, I did not mind that the team was fighting relegation; for me, it was simply an opportunity to show the world what I can do."
When he was called to join TelOne, the AYSA Academy prodigy was club-less and his future undefined. Chapinduka, who admits he was never gifted academically, was already pondering what to do with his future.
Part of him had lost hope of ever making it to top-flight football.
However, when Herbert Maruwa joined TelOne on a mission to save it from relegation, he roped in experienced players, goalkeeper Chris Mverechena, Tafadzwa Jaravani, and Xolisani Moyo, to steady his ship.
Jaravani and Moyo, proven worthy defenders, came in to provide the much-needed shield at the back and stop the team from conceding a lot. Surprisingly, a virtually unknown Chapinduka came alongside the big boys.
At a time that many questioned his identity, the Young Warriors Captain was already cementing his position on the Wifi-Boys' starting line-up as Left-Back.
He became a starter in 16 games of the season's second half and missed one due to suspension.
To date, Chapinduka is still stunned at the "sudden" change of events in his football journey.
"I still do not believe that I achieved such a feat in just half a season," he said.
"I recall as a young boy, born first in a family of two, I think my parents had already noted that I was not academically gifted, so they motivated me to take football seriously.
"Unlike some of my mates who would receive a bashing at home after football, my parents were the opposite, and now I understand why.
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"I wish my mother was still alive; I would have made her the happiest mum ever, but I believe that she is smiling from above."
Maruwa cited Chapinduka's talent, dedication, and hard work as the major attributes that make the defender stand-out.
Chapinduka, he said, proved to be a vital cog on the team despite his age.
For anyone who watched him in action, it was easy to see that the youngster who is steady with the ball at his feet is mature for his age on the pitch.
"He has a very good positional discipline, and his ball recovery rate is also very good, way more than some experienced players," said Maruwa.
