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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
AT 22-year-old, Zimbabwean goalkeeper, Martin Mapisa, believes he has a great chance to take on the world of football.

He dreams of playing for in some of Europe’s big clubs.

The Warriors fringe goalkeeper is on the books of Spanish side Zamora FC, who recently won the ticket to play the third tier, Segunda División B, next season.

In just under three years, he has moved four divisions up towards the Spanish La Liga.

He first arrived in Spain in 2018, where he initially joined that country’s seventh-tier club CD Almunecar.

But, the Aces Youth Soccer Academy alumni is looking beyond Zamora’s recent promotion.

“Basically, it feels great because it has been one of my dreams to get promoted,’’ said Mapisa.

“As a Zimbabwean footballer, I came here in Spain, played one season and got promoted to another tier.

“That’s for sure moving closer to the La Liga, I am so happy.’’

Mapisa became the first goalkeeper from Zimbabwe to be signed by a Spanish football club in 2018.

His move to Zamora this year was magical.

The side won the Group 8 playoffs and, with that, the ticket to play in the 2020/2021 campaign of the Copa Del Rey.

But Mapisa made only three appearances in that campaign.

He has largely been used as an understudy to the experienced Jon Villanueva but the towering young goalkeeper believes he will get his big chance.

“My next mission is to work hard and try to be the first-choice. For now, I have been the second-choice but I will work harder,’’ he said.

“I came here in January and I played three games. “As far as I see, I am working very hard but I can do more. I hope to win more games in this league and get promoted again so that we play in the Segunda (second tier) and, hopefully, La Liga.

“You never know with football.

“I have a belief that even if I fail to make it into La Liga, I can work myself up to play in France, Germany or England.”

But the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has been a huge setback for him.

To beat the fears, and the boredom, he has enjoyed the company of his former Aces Academy colleague, Abubakar Moffat, who also plies his trade in Spain.

“I am spending my off-season well with friends. I have my Zimbabwean colleagues from Aces Youth Academy here, so, we often visit one another.

“Recently, I visited Moffat in Malaga, which is about a two-hour flight. Very soon, we look forward to returning to the field of play.

“The impact of Covid-19 here was too much, with many people dying. As for me, I didn’t put it much into my mind because I believe in God.

“Remember, I am very far away from home, so, if I think too much on these things I may end up not performing very well in training and on match days.’’

He said football has been his saviour.

“The best thing is to try and think less about it and try to occupy myself with my football and things that make me happy,’’ he said.

“I believe it’s a passing phase, I am sure it will pass. But it also taught me many things.

“We have had about three months without playing. Some other teams even spent more time away because they were not involved in the play-offs.’’

Spain are one of the countries that were heavily hit by coronavirus.

“I have been staying indoors. I think I’m used to it because when we were in Zimbabwe, we were staying at the club house,’’ said Mapisa.

“Even though it was close to home, you always did not meet your family regularly.

“At the club house, we dealt with football and schooling. You could go home after a month, or a month and half, so, I think I was a little bit used to it.

“I have been here in Europe for something like three years and would come back home, maybe for a month or so, during the off-season.

“It’s kind of hard, though, but it’s normal in our career.

“That’s the job that we chose. I decided I wanted to play in Europe, so I have to handle it.’’

The former Aces Youth Academy prodigy lost his mother to cancer in April this year and was unable to come back home and pay his last respects due to the coronavirus travel restrictions.

“The traveling has improved. Here in Europe you can travel to destinations in and out of Spain,’’ he said.

“But, that time when my mother passed away, I wasn’t able to come because there were no flights.

“Maybe, it was because the coronavirus was just starting and many people were getting infected.

“But, things have improved. Flights are there and I think I can travel to Zimbabwe.”