It’s February 28, and the venue is Rufaro Stadium.
A decent crowd has braved the chilly weather in Harare to be at the iconic Mbare facility to witness the opening game of the 2025 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.
Ready to do battle are two Premiership debutants —Scottland and Triangle United.
Scottland have gone on a shopping spree and have lured the best players in the league, including reigning Soccer Star of the Year Walter Musona, reigning Golden Boot winner Lynoth Chikuhwa, and former Kaizer Chiefs star Khama Billiat, among others.
But on a day when one of those high-profile stars is expected to steal the show, a virtually unknown player takes center stage.
Triangle United’s Munashe Bamara dominated proceedings in the middle of the park, to the delight of neutrals who were watching the game.
The dreadlocked midfielder played a blinder, but was unfortunate to end up on the losing side, as a last-minute own goal from Blessing Chiota saw Scottland emerge 1-0 victors.
He vividly remembers his performance that afternoon also because it was his Premiership debut.
“I remember that game. It was my first game in the Premier Soccer League and I just told myself that all football matches are the same, regardless of the opponent and occasion,” recalled Bamara.
The Glen Norah-born 24-year-old midfielder remembers how his football career started.
“I discovered that I had both talent and passion for football when I was 5 years of age. 3 years later, I joined Friendly Academy,” he said.
In 2016, Friendly Academy took part in an invitational youth tournament in Huddersfield, England, and Bamara was voted the best midfielder in the competition.
The following year, Friendly Academy took part in another invitational tournament in Portsmouth, England, and Bamara was the top goal scorer.
It is that experience in England that motivates Bamara to dream of one day playing in the United Kingdom.
What also fuels his dream is the fact that Warriors vice-captain Marshall Munetsi, who is also a Friendly Academy product, is now playing in the English Premier League for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“My dream is to play in the English Premier League, or at least any league there. I believe anything is possible in life, so that is my wish, and with time, I will,” Bamara said.
“My motivation comes from the fact that I have been in England twice, and I did well there despite both occasions being invitational tournaments.
“The fact that Marshall (Munetsi), who was my senior at Friendly Academy, is playing in England and doing well there, also motivates me that one day my dream will come true,” he added.
The soft-spoken midfielder has been a vital cog in the Triangle United engine room, as the Sugar Boys seek to survive relegation.
Their resurgence under Genesis ‘Kaka’ Mangombe has seen them on a 12-game unbeaten run.
Bamara believes Triangle will avoid the chop at the end of the season.
“During the first half of the season, I believe we played well, but the problem is we didn’t manage games well, especially in the second half of most matches,” reckons Bamara.
“When the coach (Mangombe) arrived, he simply told us that we needed to fight to avoid relegation, and that is what we are doing. I’m very confident that if we stick together, we will survive relegation,” he said.
The diminutive is enjoying playing alongside the veteran midfield duo of Thabani Kamusoko and Ali Sadiki, describing the feeling as playing alongside your childhood idols.
“I’m always with Ali Sadiki. He is a player I watched when I was growing up, so being able to play alongside him is an amazing feeling. He is very intelligent and makes life easy for teammates on the field of play. Thabani’s leadership has also been crucial for us,” said Bamara.
