By Zim Sport Live Writer
Bulawayo – From a young age, Morgan Milton Nare always believed in the power of dreams.
It wasn’t just about wishful thinking; it was about daring to believe that something beyond the ordinary could be within his reach.
This is the story of how one boy decided to chase his wildest ambition, how his dream, sparked by hope and determination, nearly turned into a reality that could change lives forever.
Nare, a Sports and Recreation Management graduate and a CAF Licensed grassroots coach at Northerns Football Club in South Africa, sought to give back to the community of Gwanda that nurtured him through the inaugural edition of The Morgan Foundation (TMF) Cup, which was originally set to take place at Phelandaba Stadium in Gwanda this Saturday.
He dreamt of doing something for his people, a community he dearly loves and adores.
However, Nare’s dream couldn’t be fulfilled as, at the 11th hour, he was once again asked to postpone the tournament by the Gwanda Municipality, resulting in its cancellation.
The tournament had originally been scheduled for December 22 last year but was postponed to a later date due to a national event that had been scheduled for the same venue.
“In response to your booking of the stadium dated 27 December 2024 to use Phelandaba Stadium on the 11th of January 2025, Council appreciates your interest in using the stadium facility. However, be informed that the stadium has been earmarked to host a national function within the coming days until further notice. Therefore, all proposed activities and/or any reservations that had been made prior to this date have to be put on hold.
“In light of the above, may you consider rescheduling your football tournament to a later date to be advised” read the statement from the Municipality of Gwanda.
This dealt a devastating blow not just to Nare but also to the Gwanda community and the teams who were looking forward to the event. The teams were meant to use the tournament as part of the pre-season preparations.
Nare had already cleared all necessary approvals with the Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), all of whom had given him their endorsement to proceed.
In a statement released, The Morgan Foundation thanked the community of Gwanda for the support they had shown.
“This is to confirm the cancellation of our initiative, The Morgan Foundation Cup, which aimed to give back to the community of Gwanda through football.
The tournament, which was scheduled for 11 January 2025 at Phelandaba Stadium, has been cancelled. We were informed that there will be a national event again and we won’t be able to use the stadium, and once more, we have to respect the decision from the authorities.
“MaJahunda Amahle, we would like to sincerely apologise for all this; we were all gutted and had hoped the event would go ahead, but unfortunately, we had to let go due to the numerous postponements,” read the statement from Nare.
He further added: “We would like to thank the Gwanda community for the amazing support, the fantastic teams in our town – Gwanda Pirates FC, Super Strikers FC, the incredible Ajax Hotspurs FC, and Jordan FC – as well as the son of the soil, Kudakwashe Mahachi. We appreciate you so much.
“The Ministry of Sports, which appreciates and supports youth empowerment, the locally based brands, and all our sponsors who believed in the vision of a young man who grew up in Gwanda and longed to make a difference. Gwanda, thank you. May the good Lord bless and protect you all.”
Nare also expressed his gratitude to Soviet, Letz, APK, Mampeule Foundation, and Royal Ramuvhundu for assisting him.
The four teams mentioned – Gwanda Pirates, Super Strikers, Ajax Hotspurs, and Jordan FC – were meant to compete for the top honours, with Mahachi being one of the special guests.
Nare remains a champion in the Gwanda community for having taken the initiative to give back to the place that shaped and made him the person he is today.