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Veronica Gwaze

“Somehow she knew this was coming. She had a dream in which she saw me running with a soccer ball as the whole country watched and in her eyes, I could see how much Gogo believed in me,” recalls Waddilove High School’ s Munashe Hungwe of his late grandmother.

The beautiful and close relationship of upcoming 16-year-old Hungwe and his late grandmother, Annie Mandishona, will forever be engraved in the hearts of many. For those who were fortunate enough to have seen the young striker start his journey, they remember his grandmother who was ever present at every match he featured.

Gogo Mandishona was there at Hungwe’s first match at Chitungwiza’s Tamuka Primary School when he was still in Grade Three.

This was before he proceeded to Waddilove but even at Waddilove, she would drive all the way, ensuring she never missed details of his road to success.

“She had become a regular face to those who followed me closely and even if I messed up she was always there to motivate me.

“I still remember my first match. She cheered from the sidelines. I may have been very young then but I was old enough to feel the love.

“Off the pitch, she made sure I was ahead with my schoolwork. I would take extra lessons,” he says.

Hungwe, who wishes to be a surgeon, would emerge top both in academics and sport. And the grandmother never missed any of his prize-giving days.

“I remember the first article in the paper before the Nash 2017 tournament and my name was there as part of the team,” he says.

“Gogo was the first to call and tell me about it. You could tell from the sound of her voice that she was overjoyed.

“We were very close, she supported me in every way. Remember she had dreamt of me making it to the top when I was still four.”

Sadly, the grandmother died in 2018.

Hungwe had been selected to the team that was to represent the country the following year in Kenya.

A year later, at his grandmother’s memorial, he flew to Kenya in national team colours.

“She died just before the Copa Coca-Cola. Her memorial was the day I flew to Kenya, even though I wished that she should have been the last person I waved goodbye. The memories simply had to be my inspiration.”

He remembers how he was both excited and scared to play amongst the country’s soccer giants who had been selected from powerhouses like Prince Edward, Pamushana, Mutare Boys’ and Guinea Fowl High Schools.

In Kenya, he also played to please some of the continent’s soccer giants who had graced the tournament.

“During the competition all I know is that I was just happy to be playing before some of the African greats who had graced the occasion.

“It was my first time; the competition was tough; the boys were good but I just gave it my all.”

That year he became the national top goal scorer.

And had it not been for the Covid-19 induced halt on sport, Hungwe was determined on taking his team to the Nash finals this year.

However, it would have been for a different reason altogether.

This year it was meant to be for his grandmother.

“This year it was simply for Gogo, I was determined to make my nation proud as my late grandmother had always wanted.

“I had trained hard for it and was ready, but unfortunately everything got disrupted by the global pandemic,” says Hungwe.

“Her words keep pushing me. She believed in me. She would take time to watch my every game and making her proud is the least I can do now.”

Hungwe paid tribute to his grandmother, who ensured he had a proper pair of soccer boots every time she travelled to South Africa.

His English Premier League inspiration is Marvelous Nakamba, who currently plays for Aston Villa.