×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

New Mighty Warriors star over the moon

Sport
TEENAGE sensation Mavis Chirandu has spoken of her delight at her first Mighty Warriors call-up as the women’s national football team prepares to play in a five-team tournament in Uruguay this week.

TEENAGE sensation Mavis Chirandu has spoken of her delight at her first Mighty Warriors call-up as the women’s national football team prepares to play in a five-team tournament in Uruguay this week. HENRY MHARA IN SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

The 17-year-old, who has been promoted from the Young Mighty Warriors, said she was determined that having been given her chance in the senior team, she would fight to become a first team regular.

“I was so happy when coach Rosy (Rosemary Mugadza) announced that I had made it into the final 18. We were in the bus coming from training sometime last week when the final squad was announced. I wasn’t expecting it really so I was excited and shocked at the same time. I couldn’t contain my joy at that moment,” Chirandu said.

Nicknamed “Madam Chair” after women football boss Mavis Gumbo, Chirandu said she was looking forward to the challenge.

“I have taken the first step. I want to seize this chance and show my qualities. The seniors in the team have been very supportive and the coach has been my pillar of strength. She always encourages me to do better,” she added.

With the 2014 African Women Championships, Olympic qualifiers and the Cosafa Women Championships some few months away, Chirandu says she will work as hard as possible to make the squad.

“I have played for the Young Mighty Warriors and I’m aiming high now. There is no way I will ease back, I will work even harder and try and make a convincing case for myself.”

The Auckland Queens winger also spoke about her team’s promotion into the Marange Resources Women Super League. The Bindura-based team is one of the four teams that were promoted into the women top-flight league through playoffs.

“It will be a big challenge for us in the league, but I think we are ready. We will do our best and try to show the country that Bindura has got talent. I hope our participation in the league will open doors for my teammates and other players who play beyond the major cities,” Chirandu said.

The Mighty Warriors will compete in a five-team tournament in Uruguay that will involve the hosts, Paraguay, Chile and Brazil.

The team left Harare on Saturday afternoon via South Africa and touched down at the Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil at 2300rs (0500hrs Zimbabwe time yesterday morning).

They had a 11-hour stop-over in the Samba nation before taking another four-hour flight to the Uruguay capital Montevideo, their final destination — arriving at 1300hrs local time (1800hrs Zimbabwe time).