Willard Katsande had to leave straight after the Kaizer Chiefs Awards to Zimbabwe for his country’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Malawi in Harare on Sunday, 5 June.

“I am now focused on the preparation for the match,” the Zimbabwean captain comments. “It is in our hands to pave the way to Guinea. We are hard at work, pushing, because we all know how important this game is to the nation.”

The Warriors are at present leading Group L with eight points from four matches, three points ahead of main challenger Guinea.

It would be great for Zimbabwe to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, which they haven’t managed to do for a decade.

The final qualifying round comes in early September, when Guinea host the Warriors.

Katsande also mentioned that he will spend most of the off-season break reconnecting with his family back home and to relive his herd boy days in Zimbabwe’s rural areas: “I miss my herd boy days.”

The midfielder emerged as a bright spark in an otherwise disappointing season for the Amakhosi.

‘Salt & Pepper’, as Katsande is affectionately known, was a big winner at last week’s sparkling Kaizer Chiefs Awards ceremony.

“I would like to thank God almighty for these rewards,” reflected the strong tackling midfielder after having walked away with a total of eight awards, including the biggest of them all, the Player of the Season award. “The feeling is unbelievable. Receiving any award from a big institution as Chiefs will go down as a highlight in my career.”

Other awards won were: Player of the Month for February, March, April and May. Also, in his collection of trophies were the Fan Player of the Season, KC Online Player and Players’ Player of the Year.

“It all boils down to discipline and dedication,” Katsande added. “I demand a lot from myself. At the start of every season I commit myself to be consistent. However, individual glory aside, my main aim is to help the team win games.”

The midfielder found the back of the net six times this season: “It goes without saying that with hard work comes reward. I am glad to see my efforts being noticed. I want to be mentioned in the history of this great institution. I want to leave a mark.”