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Tatenda Mukuruva

Noel Munzabwa in MBABANE, Swaziland
ZIMBABWE international goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva’s profile continues to grow with the Warriors number one landing a one-year renewable endorsement deal with English sportswear and football equipment supplier Umbro.

The international company, which has been in operation since 1924, designs, sources and markets football-related apparel, footwear, and equipment and its products are sold in over 90 countries worldwide.

Interestingly, Umbro are also the kit suppliers for the Malawian senior national football team which crashed to a 0-3 defeat at the hands of the Warriors in a 2017 Nations Cup qualifier at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

Mukuruva, who is the Dynamos goalkeeper, was in goals when the Warriors beat Malawi to seal their place at the 2017 Nations Cup finals.

The young goalkeeper is in Namibia for this year’s edition of the COSAFA Castle Cup which gets underway tomorrow.

Swaziland-based deal broker, Dingane Maduna, was the one who organised the deal and told The Herald that everything has now been signed and sealed.

“Tatenda submitted his CV and was subsequently interviewed and I am happy to say the endorsement deal has been approved by Umbro and the player will be kitted soon after the COSAFA tournament,” said Maduna.

“We respect the fact that Tatenda is with the (Zimbabwe) national team in Namibia for the COSAFA tournament otherwise we agreed, it’s now a matter of e-mailing contract, doing photo-shoot and he picks up his first batch (of sportswear).

“Tatenda will be supplied with three pairs of soccer boots, two sets of goalkeeper’s gloves, clothing and travel (allowance for photo shoots) after every two months.

“He will become the only goalkeeper among the current players under the endorsement deals who include the Orlando Pirates trio of Tendai Ndoro, Thabo Qalinge and Sifiso Myeni.

“There is also SuperSport United’s Clinton Daniels and William Tfwala Kaizer Chiefs and Free State Stars’ Paulos Masehe.”

Mukuruva joins a growing list of present and former Zimbabwe football internationals who have earned endorsement deals.

They include former CAPS United striker, Alois Bunjira, who is now the club’s director of marketing, who enjoyed a two-year Adidas deal in 1996.

Yesterday Bunjira described the endorsement deal as one of the highlights of his career and said every player should strive to have one.

“It was a great moment . . . and also a first and they (Adidas) looked after me very well. I used to get a box of regalia every month.

“And a pay cheque was super. I was actually the first player to wear white predators in Zimbabwe.

Hopefully, the player (Mukuruva) will be a good ambassador for the brand,” said Bunjira.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe international forward Khama Billiat admits he faces a tough task emulating his achievements this past season.

The Zimbabwean star was named the South African PSL Player and Players’ Player of the Season, and was also voted the Kick-Off Footballer of the Season.

Billiat has been linked with moves overseas, particularly France, but he insists he is still happy at Mamelodi Sundowns and is looking to improve on his form from 2015-16. “It’s going to be a bit challenging doing so well this (2016-17) season,” he told the latest edition of KICK OFF magazine.

“It will always be a bit difficult to push to another level, but I am the kind of player who will fight to do better. I’ll take next season twice as seriously and work twice as hard and then see what it brings.”Billiat scored three goals for the Warriors in their successful 2017 Nations Cup campaign.

The diminutive forward scored the winner against Malawi in Blantyre, the final goal in the 4-0 thrashing of Swaziland in Harare and the second goal, a beauty, in the 2-0 win over the Flames on Sunday.