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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter

GARETH Madhake is keen to prove his worth after completing his medicals at Ngezi Platinum Stars yesterday.

The 25-year-old was one of the most stand-out defenders in the league last season though he narrowly missed a place on the Soccer Stars of the Year calendar.

He was rewarded with a Player’s Player of the Year accolade at his former club Black Rhinos though.

And he believes he can make an impact following his switch from the army side to Mhondoro.

Madhake was one of the two players who completed their medicals at the Takesure Chiragwi-coached team yesterday together with former Chicken Inn forward Malvin Gaki.

Madhake knows the territory he has entered will test his capabilities given the calibre of players he will be competing for a playing berth at Ngezi Platinum Stars.

The club boasts with some of the best defenders in the league with the likes of Polite Moyo, Carlos Mavhurume, Kudzai Chigwida, Ariel Makopa, Tapiwa Sibanda, Qadr Amini and Malvin Kwanjo all still attached to the team.

But the former Harare City and Black Rhinos man says he is not looking at who he will compete against for a starting place at Ngezi but rather what he is capable of bringing to the team.

“It feels good to move from one big club (Black Rhinos) and become part of another big club (Ngezi Platinum Stars) that has been performing well in the Premier Soccer League,” said Madhake.

“It clearly shows that I am improving with my career. I hope my efforts will lead to the success of my new team.

“My hope is to play well so that at the end of the season we will win the title.

“I hope to take the form that I had when I was at Black Rhinos with me and help Ngezi Platinum Stars achieve their aims.

“I trust and believe that the Almighty will give me strength to elevate my play so that I will move to the higher levels.

“I am taking one step at a time and I am looking at growing in terms of my football to a level where I will be ready to play in Europe”.

The centre-back, who introduced his entry in professional football as a right-back at Harare City, also penned an emotional farewell to Black Rhinos.

“It is very hard to move away from the people you call family but I guess that is the world of football. I would like to thank Black Rhinos Football Club for helping me the player I am today and honouring me at the end of last season,” he said.

“I am happy that they appreciated me for the efforts I put in all the matches we played. We remain one family in the football fraternity. Once again thank you for giving me the chance to showcase my talent to the whole nation. Today I am who I am through Black Rhinos. May you give such opportunities to other players who are joining the team. I believe there are many young stars who are looking for such opportunities.”

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports say Ngezi Platinum Stars have parted ways with Premiership’s badboy Denver Mukamba.

The playmaker was always facing the axe the day Benjani Mwaruwari, who had grown to tolerate his waywardness, was fired.

And there was always a danger coach Takesure Chiragwi would wield the axe on the former Dynamos and CAPS United player.

Some players who have reportedly left the team include Last Jesi and Ghanaian defender Derrick Bonna.