As the football-loving public was drooling over Tawanda Chirewa’s dazzling performance in the recently-concluded World Cup qualifiers in South Africa, the Wolverhampton Wanderers star was also on cloud nine.
The 20-year made burst onto the scene with a scintillating performance against Bafana Bafana at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein and the fact that the Warriors lost to Hugo Brooks’s charges didn’t take away rave reviews for the dreadlocked forward.
Chirewa ghosted into the Bafana Bafana box and finished with precision and style to level matters for Zimbabwe, barely a minute after Iqraam Rayners had thrust South Africa ahead with less a minute on the clock.
Apart from the goal, Chirewa was a constant headache for the Bafana Bafana defence, particularly in the first half and the slippery forward mesmerized Warriors fans.
Apart from his performance, Chirewa was overjoyed by something else —the treatment he got from Sports masseur Lenon Gwara.
Gwara (29), is part of the Warriors technical team and is in charge of massage therapy as well as muscle conditioning.
Chirewa even took to his Instagram to appreciate Gwara, posting a picture of the Glen Norah-bred bodyworker with the caption: “If you are looking for a sports masseur in Zimbabwe, get him.”
Gwara holds a Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT) qualification and is registered with the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ).
He has previously worked at Harare giants Dynamos and is currently at ambitions Premiership side Simba Bhora —where he is part of Tonderai Ndiraya’s backroom staff.
While Zimbabwean football is lagging behind in terms of sports masseurs, Gwara is determined to usher-in a change in that regard.
“Masseurs or sports therapists are now very important in modern football. We are now the basis on performance analysis for coaches,” Gwara told Soccer24.
“A coach needs to understand a player’s muscles, load, recovery and the types of recovery one should undergo. We create a tailor-made recovery program for each player depending on his body type and muscle tone,” explained Gwara.
The purpose of a job is to earn income and Gwara’s case is no exception but to him, it’s more of “being paid for doing what he loves.”
“I started growing into sports therapy until the passion for it overtook me and I started to see loopholes in the industry.
“Through Coach Tonderai Ndiraya’s help and guidance, I grew gradually because he showed me how important my industry is to sport, particularly football. After he (Ndiraya) took me under his shoulders, I then started my brand called Zim Therapy Sports Health,” added Gwara.
Working with the Warriors is something Gwara is cherishing.
“We get along well with the lads. Not only Tawanda Chirewa but even the captain Marshy (Marshall Munetsi), JZ (Jordan Zemura), Gerald Takwara, Walter (Musona), Tymon (Machope), Brendan Galloway, only to mention a few, it’s just like a family.”
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