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impact of that super show.
Super Mario struck a brace, a majestic stooping header at the near post, and a venomous shot that whistled into the far post, to settle a tense semi-final and send the Azzurri into tomorrow’s final against world champions Spain.
Among the millions of those who followed that action around the globe was budding Zimbabwean footballer, Tinotenda Chibharo, who is on the same payroll with the Italian striker.
After all, Chibharo and Balotelli play for the same club, English champions Manchester City, with the only difference being that the Italian is in the first team and the Zimbabwean is in the Under-21 team.
Chibharo, a former Masvingo and Maningi midfielder, hopes to one day make as big an impact, in world football, as Balotelli and watching the Italian dominate the stage on Thursday night, provided the inspiration.
After all, the Zimbabwean gave up his college education to pursue a career in professional football.
At 19, Chibharo is two years younger than Balotelli and hopes that in two years time, he would be plying the game in the fast lane and making headlines across the world.
The Manchester City Under-21 team, which Chibharo plays for, comes below the reserve side and then the senior team, which won the English championship last season.
Chibharo, who moved to United States in 2009 after he got a soccer scholarship to study at Winterthrop University after he was identified by coaches who came to scout talent here, switched to England early this year when he got a two-year contract with City’s developmental side.
This week, he told The Saturday Herald that the Under-21 players at Manchester City were deriving a lot of inspiration from the way Balotelli was performing at Euro 2012.
Tomorrow’s Euro 2012 final will also feature another Manchester City player, midfield star David Silva, who is set to play for Spain.
But it’s Super Mario who is grabbing the headlines.
“He is a nice guy who is always joking around,” said Chibharo, from his base in England. “Sometimes he comes and watches us train and it is so motivating because everyone wants to be up there. Sometimes it is compulsory to go and watch them training because we learn from what they are doing.”
A former Prince Edward student, Chibharo said he was enjoying his stay at Manchester City.
“I play for the juniors and they give you what they call a scholarship,” he said. “I had to stop going to the university because some times it clashes with training. I am playing with players from Belgium, Italy and there is also one guy from Congo.”
When he arrived from the United States, Manchester City officials felt they needed two weeks to assess him, which would also give him time to settle down and express himself. But, after just one week, they felt they had seen enough quality and signed him for two years.
Life, for him, has never been the same.
“When I came here they gave me two weeks for trials and just after one week they gave me a two-year contract,” said Chibharo.
“I was based in the States where I was playing college football at the university where I was studying Business Administration before moving here.
“We play with clubs like Bolton and Arsenal and the league has 12 teams as some Premiership clubs like Queens Park Rangers don’t have junior sides.
“The club (Manchester City) believes it’s better to groom players and they are really serious about the junior policy and even at training it is now more intense.”
Chibharo believes his career will really take off within the next two years.
“As an African it is challenging because we are looked down upon so you have to work extra hard,” he said.
“The sky is the limit and I have to keep working hard and believe in God and in myself. I really believe with the exposure I am getting from the coaches I am working with here I will become a more mature player.”
He says the young players at the club pride themselves with City’s recent achievements, especially the way they won the league title in dramatic fashion to end 44 years of waiting.
City were four minutes away, in added time, from blowing it all as they trailed a gritty Queens Park Rangers at home in a game they needed to win.
Rivals Manchester United had one hand on the trophy after completing their season with a 1-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
But amid bedlam at the Etihad, City scored twice in time added on, with Balotelli playing a big role, and won the league title.
“It was an immense feeling. It was out of this world,” said Chibharo. He is hoping to make a big impact at a club that also had another Zimbabwean, Benjani Mwaruwari, on their books.
Given that Chibharo is a central midfielder, an area that has consistently given Warriors coaches all sorts of headaches since the retirement of Ronald Sibanda, the big question is — could this teenage star be the answer to our problems.
Is this the playmaker that we have been waiting for all along? If he is good enough to be signed by Manchester City, he should be good enough to be playing for the Warriors even at 19.
Interestingly, Chibharo has played for the Zimbabwe Under-17s before and featured in the same team with Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat.
He was called to the Zimbabwe Under-20 team for the qualifier against Botswana but did not heed the call for national duty.