HE might have just made a cameo appearance, but for Zimbabwe youth international and Legends Academy alumni Douglas Mapfumo, getting some game-time in Cape Town City’s stunning MTN8 quarter-final win over fancied AmaZulu was the dream start he hoped for.
Mapfumo was thrust into the match-day squad last Sunday, just two days after Cape Town City completed his deal and officially unveiled him as their eighth signing of the season.
The 21-year-old centre forward is playing in the South African top-flight for the first time having spent last season on loan at Cape Umoya in the GladAfrica Championship.
He had earlier been attached by Legends to Bidvest Wits, having showed his prowess by scoring 10 goals in five games for his Academy as they won the Under-21 League in Harare.
The move to Cape Town City is set to help Mapfumo with an opportunity to enhance his career which had been disrupted when Bidvest Wits’ top-flight franchise was sold to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) last year.
On Sunday, Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler sent the biggest signal yet that he had Mapfumo firmly in his plans when he threw him on to add fire power to their attack as the match looked to stretch beyond the regulation time.
The Citizens, however, claimed a late winner against league runners-up AmaZulu, and with it a spot in the semi-final.
With the DStv Premiership programme starting on Friday and such tournaments as the Nedbank Cup also still to come, Mapfumo looks set to have plenty of game time at City.
Mapfumo finds himself in the rare class of the likes of Warriors skipper Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat who broke into the South African top-flight without having featured in the domestic Premiership
Tinkler’s men will open their 2021-22 DStv championship campaign with a home assignment against his former team SuperSport United at Athlone stadium on Saturday.
The former Bafana Bafana midfielder had a brief stint as SuperSport United coach.
SuperSport are, however, now under the guidance of Kaitano Tembo and have the Warriors pair of Onismor Bhasera and Kuda Mahachi on their books. –
