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Bruce Chikuni

SOME footballers are born to be leaders and Chegutu Pirates captain, Gift Mwinga, is definitely one of them.

He is flexing the mark of a real leader as he has now bagged four goals this campaign to inject life in Dzinza’s relegation fight.

Last season he netted six times to power Dzinza’s chase for a top-flight league slot.

The defensive midfielder was also honoured as the team’s best player for his exploits in making sure Pirates reached the promised land last season.

Dzinza are finding the Castle Lager Premiership a different monster as they are sitting third from the basement having managed 16 points in 18 attempts.

Mwinga, who was once a beggar in the mining town before turning into a footballer, has now hit the net four times and Pirates have scored 12 goals in total conceding 22.

He seems to be reaching his stride in a league where goals have become a rare commodity.

The figures are showing that Mwinga has been life to the party and some believes he could have added more goals to his tally had he not missed six games due to an injury.

He is showing great passion in giving back to the community which looked after him when he lost his parents at a young age.

Mwinga had to shoulder the unpleasant burden of looking for food, clothes from one spot to another as family members appeared distant.

This is his maiden season in the Premiership, but he appears to have shrugged off the rookie tag proving why he is the fan favourite in Chegutu.

Mwinga told Zimpapers Sport that he owes it to the Chegutu community for the love they showed him during his darkest hour.

“I lost my parents at a young age and my grandfather tried his best to comfort me before his death.

“When I lost him, I felt like that was the end of the world because I was still young and I had to beg for food and clothes to survive.

“I met people who were very caring in Chegutu and some of them I will never get the chance to personally thank them but I have told myself that each game I put on that jersey, I have to pay this community back for showing me love when I was down,” he said.

Mwinga was a recipient of a red card when Pirates stumbled to a 1-3 loss at the hands of FC Platinum.

And, this means they have to find a way to fill Mwinga’s glaring void in their next two assignments.

They are on the road to ZPC Kariba at Nyamhunga today. They lost 0-1 to Kauya Katuruturu in the reverse fixture and they know anything short of a point will not help their cause in the fight to maintain their PSL ticket.