Fungai Muderere
GRIEF is a powerful emotion that knows no form of masculinity, race or creed and when one loses a parent just before a football match, the only conclusion is that the player will miss the match.
But not for Chicken Inn defender Dominic Jaricha!
He was told of the unfortunate news — losing his father in the morning — when Chicken Inn was due to play Manica Diamonds at Triangle’s Gibbo Stadium.
Last Saturday afternoon, the teams walked into the pitch and no one expected Jaricha to soldier on.
It wasn’t until head coach Prince Matore made a substitution in the 64th minute taking out Dumoluhle Lunga who had been jittery on the right side of the Gamecocks defence.
The substitution led to the introduction of Jaricha, the man whose father had breathed his last earlier in the morning.
“I had to soldier on. It is part of life. My father had been unwell for some time. I want to thank my teammates and my coaches for the emotional support that they gave me,” said the soft spoken centre back.
In the heart of Gamecocks defence, Jaricha, who joined Gamecocks early this year, has formed a formidable partnership with his ex-Bulawayo City teammate Mpumelelo Bhebhe.
The duo has been on top of their game giving the much-needed cover to Gamecocks goalkeepers Donovan Bernard and Pride Zendera, also combining well with fellow defenders that include club captain Xolani “Lolo” Ndlovu and Arthur Chinda.
