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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter

TALENTED midfielder Denver Mukamba believes he is now more experienced and still has what it takes to deliver quality performances in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.

The 2012 Soccer Star of the Year is back on the market after parting ways with Ngezi Platinum.

Mukamba was released through a mutual termination with a year remaining on his contract.

He was off-loaded at the club together with Last Jesi, Anelka Chivandire, Mandlenkosi Mlilo, Junior Zindoga, Derek Bonnah and Issa Ali.

Yesterday, the former Dynamos midfielder told The Herald that life has to go on and he is looking for another top club to join this coming season.

“There were one or two issues at the club but in life, you have to move on. I don’t know why they released me. I was not expecting it.

“Mhondoro Ngezi is a good place. I enjoyed my football there. I did not have any problems with my coaches. We worked together well, firstly with coach Benjie (Mwaruwari) and then coach (Takesure) Chiragwi,” said Mukamba.

The 30-year-old skilful midfielder says he is not a spent force.

“I believe I still have what it takes and am looking forward to playing for a top club again. I am training and preparing for the new season. My legs can carry me for the next five years, playing at top-flight level,” he said.

Mukamba has earned a tag as the local league’s bad boy, due to his wayward behaviour. He was expelled from both Dynamos and CAPS United.

Former Young Warriors coach Rodwell Dhlakama managed to help the midfielder reform and concentrate on his football again at Chapungu United and then at Ngezi Platinum Stars.

Dhlakama first took him to Chapungu and when he moved to Ngezi Platinum, he took Mukamba with him. Mukamba managed to revive his career at the club and was the cog in the Madamburo team in the 2021 season, helping the club to reach the Chibuku Super Cup final with his crucial goals. But the departure of Dhlakama at the beginning of last season left him exposed as he lacked that firm hand to guide him.

His brief reunion with his friend Mwaruwari did not help matters either. And it was not surprising when the club deemed him excess baggage at the beginning of this year.

But Mukamba denies some of the bad things that are said about him.

“I know I have my faults and sometimes I make mistakes but some of the talk is just pub talk. People always think the worst of me and some of the things are not true at all,” said Mukamba. His manager, Gibson Mahachi, said they are finalising his mutual termination with Ngezi Platinum and are entertaining offers from prospective clubs.

“We are in the process of negotiating the mutual termination with Ngezi Platinum. As required, they sent a notice of termination which is above board and we are now negotiating the termination of the contract. He had no issues with Ngezi and they treated him well during his stay there.

“I cannot give names but there are two clubs that are interested in Mukamba but everything is subject to the termination process,” said Mahachi. Mukamba began his career at Kiglon before joining Dynamos in 2011, winning Rookie of the Year in the same year. He managed to win two league titles and two Mbada Diamonds Cups with the Glamour Boys under Callisto Pasuwa.

He was crowned the Soccer Star of the Year in 2012, fending off the challenge of the then Highlanders attacking midfielder Masimba Mambare and Ronald Chitiyo, who was the second runner-up. By winning the big award as a 19-year old, Mukamba’s future was promising.

And the following year he was signed by the then South African Premiership side Bidvest Wits on a two-year contract. He was loaned out to the University of Pretoria in the 2014/2015 season and made 20 appearances for the Pretoria-based side, scoring three goals.

Upon his return to Wits, Mukamba was snatched by another South African side Jomo Cosmos. But the exciting midfielder failed to reproduce the form that made him a household name in the local league. He returned home to rejoin DeMbare but had discipline issues, prompting coach Lloyd Mutasa to loan him to CAPS United. Mukamba also featured for the Warriors, having previously played for the Young Warriors. He played in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers under German coach Klaus Pagels who made him the captain of the Warriors side that had the likes of Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiat, Archieford Gutu and Abbas Amidu.