BY TERRY MADYAUTA
RAPHAEL Muduviwa’s eight-year stay at FC Platinum has looked all rosy, but for all the glory that the three league champions have offered, he is still haunted by the horror debut he endured at the Zvishavane side.
The Norton-bred defender was sent off in his first competitive match for the club in a clash against Dynamos at Rufaro Stadium in 2012.
He was just 19, having been promoted from the club’s developmental side.
Despite the horror start to his career, he has risen to become a vital cog at FC Platinum in their success story and is the club’s most capped player.
But that match against the Harare giants in 2012, when he conceded a penalty and was subsequently sent off, will remain etched in his mind forever.
“I felt that I had lost it. To make such a mistake on your debut has the potential to condemn you to the bench or to kill your career altogether,” the defender recalled.
He still vividly remembers the scolding that he received from the Dynamos fans as he walked back to the dressing room. To make matters worse, his teammates did not console him.
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“That long walk to the dressing room was stressful. The Dynamos fans were on my case as I walked back to the dressing room. You know how tough they can be at Rufaro Stadium,” Muduviwa recalls.
“I was a subject of scorn even from my teammates, some who I looked up to. It remains my worst nightmare as a player, but I am just grateful that the coach (Tenant Chilumba) maintained faith in me and stood by me when I felt I had let everyone down.”
FC Platinum eventually lost the match 2-0.
“In short, it was a false start to my career though I have to admit that the years that followed have given me strength and more energy to be a better player. I could have quit if I was weak, but I held on and worked hard.”
For all the good days and the successes that he has enjoyed in his career, a move to a foreign club has remained elusive. But he is not losing hope.
The talented full-back is part of FC Platinum’s steely defence, where he partners with Gift Bello, William Stima and Tawana Chikore.
He has another chance to catch the eyes of foreign clubs when FC Platinum return to the Caf Champions League next season hoping to go beyond the group stages.
