Makepekepe treated me like a criminal

The stylish midfielder, offloaded by the “Green Machine” recently, exclusively revealed his hidden anger towards the struggling Harare giants. He does not approve of the manner in which he was treated during his stay and when he was told to leave.

“I will never return to a club that treats players like slaves,” vowed the gifted former Highlanders and Lancashire Steel hard man. “I am not saying they should not have offloaded me when they felt they did not need my services, but I did not like the manner in which that was done – as if I was a criminal.

“They do not give players a chance to express themselves freely. There is continued politicking at the club,” said the man who believes his presence at struggling premiership debutants Hardbody could create upsets in the league.

“At Hardbody, we have a number of promising young players with the hunger for success and with enough guidance, I believe we can go far,” said the 24-year-old grafter, adding that he felt no pressure playing in Gweru, where the fans had been starved of premiership football since the relegation of Chapungu in 2009.

“Although most fans in the area support the so-called big clubs, they support us whenever we play at home. It is different from the big cities where supporters often boo players when the chips are down.”

Alimenda’s contribution has instantly been felt at his new club. The way he has provided steel to the team has given fans reason to believe in survival in the cut-throat league. They lie third from bottom with nine games remaining.

The former Manunure High School student has also provided some glamour to the team, providing added entertainment to the fans.

“It’s all about teamwork,” he said. That statement indicated a changed Alimenda, appreciated but often criticized for being selfish and too stylish during his days at Mwana Africa and Bosso.

Perhaps this was the metamorphosis of a schoolboy who always drove the Dambudzo Primary and Manunure High schools team to the top with his scoring prowess, especially in dearth of talented strikers.

“One doesn’t stop learning and I believe I am now a better and more of an all-round player than I was in the previous seasons,” he conceded. “Having a coach like Godfrey Tamirepi has also helped me a lot because all he asks for is my normal game and nothing extra-ordinary. Personally, I want to continue working hard and help bring joy to the Hardbody family.”