BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
WHEN ZPC Kariba defender Ian Nekati received a WhatsApp text from Warriors team manager Wellington Mpandare to join camp for the crucial Qatar 2020 World Cup second leg qualifier against Somalia, he was already in bed on a Saturday night.
It was the same Saturday that the national team arrived back in the country from a shock 1-0 defeat to the East Africans in Djibouti a couple of days earlier.
The text came as a shock for Nekati because it was not in the player’s wildest dream to play in the Warriors main squad after featuring in the CHAN team last month.
After all, Nekati didn’t even have money to travel to Harare for the national assignment at that moment and had to borrow from friends.
Three days later, Nekati would be the only locally-based player in the Warriors starting line-up for the nerve-racking tie and until Somalia equalised in the 85th minute, he looked like the only foreign-based player in the team in terms of performance.
“I received a message from team manager Mpandare the day the Warriors arrived from Djibouti saying that I should come and join camp. I was shocked and I showed my wife, Faith Mbundaya, the message.I was at the same time I was happy that I had been honoured to come and represent my country,” the 30-year-old defender said in an interview with The Sports Hub.
“I didn’t expect it and at that time I was already sleeping at home. We also didn’t have money in the house for my bus fare so I had to run around to look for money because I didn’t want to miss this opportunity,” he added.
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Nekati was majestic on the right in a fullback position and looked like a seasoned campaigner for the Warriors in the dramatic 3-1 win over the stubborn minnows Somalia at the Nationals Sports Stadium on Tuesday.
Even he was pleased with his own performance.
“It is the best performance for me so far in my career. But what pleased me the most is that I was the only locally-based player in the team and I managed to fit in very well with the squad,” Nekati said.
Before Tuesday, many an average football fans knew very little about the 30-year-old former FC Platinum player, who is now on the books of ZPC Kariba.
Nekati won two league championships with the Zvishavane-based side before moving to ZPC Kariba.
Interestingly, Nekati is the son of former CAPS United defence stalwart the late Tobias “Rock Steady” Sibanda, and, thus, also a Makepekepe product.
Rock Steady was an integral part of the CAPS United side in the 1990s, which included the likes of Oscar Motsi, Brenna Msiska, Carlos Max and George Nechironga, to mention but a few.
“My father was a top footballer, so football is just in my blood. He played for CAPS United and his name was Tobias Sibanda, so football came naturally to me,” Nekati said.
He started playing football at Zuvarabuda Primary School and also captained Glen Norah 2 High School.
Nekati was part of the CAPS United Juniors 2009 and 2010 before moving to Twalumba FC where he played for a couple of seasons joining in 2013 until last year.
The former FC Platinum star is already looking for another league title with ZPC Kariba, who have been doing well this season.
“Winning the league title with FC Platinum is the highlight of my football career and my wish is to win the league everywhere I play. I am looking forward to another title with ZPC Kariba, but we have to work hard to get it. “But the league title is my aim this year,” Nekati said.
“I also still harbour hopes of playing football outside the country,” he added.
