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THE MAN WHO SEES EVERYTHING GREEN . . . Nelson Chabikwa is always the centre of attraction outside the field of play at CAPS United matches

Tedious Manyepo Sports Reporter
CALL him weird, he doesn’t care.

What matters in his football life is CAPS United, a team which he supports from deep down his heart.

His name is Nelson Chabikwa and he rarely misses a CAPS United match, home or away. But what makes him stand out is his somewhat crazy showing in the terraces.

Whenever the Green Machine is playing at Rufaro, the 32-year-old Chabikwa is always the centre of attraction outside the field of play at the City end that houses the Makepekepe fans.

Often he would be without a top, sporting green and white paint, his bulged belly dancing and performing several antics too funny that some of his colleagues could miss important action on the pitch while being entertained by him.

So does he have time to attentively watch the game that he would have parted his money to witness?

“I started attending football matches some 12 years or so ago and I fell deeply in love with the sport. Of course, I grew up rallying behind CAPS United since 1994. But it was in 2003, when I had secured a job that I could afford to pay my own way to the stadia that I truly started following the team.

“It was after about three years of religiously following the sport that I started to feel that there was another angle to football supporting than just sitting and scrolling down one’s phone while in the stadium. That’s when I started doing funny antics whenever watching the game,” he said.

The Highfield-born staunch Green Machine supporter has, however, clashed with his family on several occasions after his pictures in the company of ladies at stadiums were published in newspapers.

He is now happy though that at least his family has come to accept what he believes football supporting is all about.

“I am a family man and you know what happens when one does things in a way which is not accepted by the society even though it is of no criminal nature.

“On several occasions, I have clashed with my family, particularly my wife, who is not amused with my behaviour when I’m at the football matches. I tried to explain my behaviour to my kids, especially the one who is 16-years-old. Finally, my family has now accepted what I do at the stadiums. I am happy for that,” he said.

Chabikwa admitted that he misses most of the action on the pitch as he will be busy doing antics in the terraces.

Born on July 1, 1984 in Harare, Chabikwa attended Nyandoro and Budiriro 1 for his primary education before proceeding to Karoi Enterprise Secondary, where he would drop out in Form 2 due to financial problems. He went on to secure a job with Power Coach Enterprises as a bus conductor. He was only 16 years old and it was during that time that he also fathered his first-born child. But there is a possibility that the father of three would put more attention to the game and neglect his family given all the sacrifices he renders to football.

“I am a hard-working man and my family always comes first. Of course, I am a football-crazy dad, but I make sure that I provide for them first,” said Chabikwa.

Chabikwa is currently employed as a bus conductor for the Harare-Bulawayo route plying CAG Tours. He has predicted that the championship race will be won by a team which will be consistent from week 17.

“The 2016 Premiership race will be won by a team which collect points consistently from the 17th week onwards. It’s a tight race and you know the team I’m rooting for to be crowned Champs.”