Chronicle EditorMukudzei Chingwere Midlands Bureau
FORMER Dynamos captain Stephen Alimenda is set to join Central Region Division One side Nichrut after his move to Hong Kong failed, The Herald can exclusively reveal. The midfield hardman left the country last month for Hong Kong and was expected to seal a deal with Eastern Sports Club but the move seems to have fallen through with Alimenda now in scenic Shurugwi training with Nichrut.
The club’s head coach John Nyikadzino told The Herald the midfielder was in Shurugwi and they want to add him to their squad.
“Yes, he is here and is training with us but he is not yet registered to play in our league games. We are working on registering him.
“We want his experience in our team and it can help us especially at this stage of the season.
“He is still a very good player and I will be happy to work with him at this club and we are in the process of formalising his papers. But for the record he is not our player as yet,” said Nyikadzino.
Sources at the ZIFA Central Region offices told The Herald that they had received Alimenda’s papers from Nichrut for registration.
“We have received his papers. But the transfer window is closed and we want to establish if he is indeed a free agent like they are claiming.
“If he is a free agent we will register him,” said the source at ZIFA.
If his move is finalised he will join former Premiership players like Farai Vimisai, David Boriwondo and Asani Nhongo who are already on the books of the Shurugwi side.
Alimenda first made his big impact at Highlanders before crossing the Great Divide to Dynamos where he anchored the midfield for many years.
Dynamos coach Llyod Mutasa offloaded Alimenda and Rodreck Mutuma on disciplinary grounds.
Meanwhile, Nichrut are facing an acid test for a podium finish in the highly-competitive second-tier league. Their narrow 1-0 win away to MSU over the weekend trimmed the gap between them and Luke Petros’s WhaWha to six points.
Whawha were held to a 1-1 draw by Vumbachikwe but still remain on pole position.
Second-placed Tongogara made the most of WhaWha’s stumble to cut the deficit to just two points after a 3-0 win over Tongogara.
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