Tapuwa Kapini issues ‘come get me plea’ to boyhood club Highlanders

After severing ties with DStv Premiership outfit Sekhukhune United, veteran goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini has made it clear that he dreams of a swansong season with boyhood club Highlanders of Zimbabwe.

The 38-year-old goalie shot to prominence as a teenager at the Bulawayo giants before securing a move to Platinum Stars in 2006.

In June, Babina Noko offloaded the man popularly known as Campos Kapini was among the 14 players that were released by the Gauteng-based club, and the nomadic shot-stopper is now considering rejoining the Zimbabwean giants to wrap up his illustrious football career.

The ex-Amazulu and Highlands Park goalkeeper says he remains indebted to the club that gave him a platform to rise to stardom following a rather modest upbringing.

He won three league titles with Highlanders in 2001, 2002 and 2006, respectively, and it is during this period that he earned a call-up to the national team to become a household name.

“If things were good, I could have come back a long time ago. People from Bulawayo often ask, but as of now, I don’t have that answer, but it’s my dream, and it’s all in Bosso’s [Highlanders] hands to give me a chance to give back.

“It’s all about negotiating a contract and seeing what they have to offer for me as a senior player. On my Facebook page, that’s the most asked question by supporters and even relatives.

“They ask, Kapini, when are you coming back and say we are waiting for you. If everything has come down for me to retire, I am retiring in my home country and giving back for what Highlanders did for me. They made me what I am in this career,” Kapini told FARPost.

Tapuwa Kapini has been safeguarding goals for over two decades at top-flight league level, having joined the then trailblazing Highlanders class of 2001.

He went on to win three championship medals with them before being lured by Platinum Stars at the end of 2006.

But what mainly makes Kapini a memorable feature in the Zimbabwean football landscape is that he was part of the inuagural Warriors squad to qualify for Afcon finals in 2004.

He was also part of the squad that went to the 2006 Afcon finals staged in Egypt.

However just like his compatriot Willard Katsande, Kapini appears to have his retirement plan well laid out having already ventured into the motor vehicle repair business in Kempton Park.

Katsande announced his retirement from professional football earlier this week.

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