After over a year of chasing, Motsepe Foundation Championship side Kruger United is finally set to welcome one of the best Zimbabwean goalkeepers.
Goalkeeper Donovan Bernard is on his way to Kruger United ahead of the 2025/26 Motsepe Foundation Championship season. Bernard bade farewell to Zimbabwe’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League side Chicken Inn FC on Monday.
He played a total of 138 matches for the Bulawayo-based side, where he emerged as a vital cog for the team coached by Joey Antipas, formerly with AmaZulu FC.
DONOVAN BERNARD SET TO COMPLETE MOVE TO KRUGER UNITED
The 29-year-old is expected to land in South Africa on Tuesday to complete his move to Kruger United. He joins Zimbabwean goalkeepers Washington Arubi and Elvis Chipezeze, who are already in the South African football ranks.
Expectations are high that the Zimbabwean will make a difference as Kruger United enter into their second Motsepe Foundation Championship season.
Last season, they ended the campaign in fifth position with 45 points from 30 matches. Plausibly, Bernard joins the team sitting on an exceptional track record, having won the 2024 season Golden Glove in Zimbabwe’s PSL.
He had accounted for 20 clean sheets in 34 matches. That was the highest among all goalkeepers in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League of Zimbabwe.
Additionally, Bernard has played for a number of Zimbabwean clubs that include the now-defunct Motor Action and How Mine FC. He also played for the 2023 Champions, Ngezi Platinum Stars.
And at some point, he was the trusted goalkeeper for the Warriors of Zimbabwe. He made his national team debut in September 2014.
As it stands, he has 11 caps under his belt but has been overlooked by the current head coach, Michael Nees. He last featured for his country during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers played in June 2024.
Meanwhile, Bernard almost played for Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila [TTM] in 2022, but the deal was unceremoniously dropped.
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