Innocent Kurira [email protected]
WHEN Tonderai Ndiraya arrived at Chicken Inn, he inherited a rebuilding project that demanded patience, not instant results.
Fresh from Champions Scottland, the coach faced the task of overhauling the Gamecocks, with changes to both the technical team and playing personnel. Building a competitive side while establishing a new football culture was always going to take time.
The journey has had its setbacks, but Ndiraya believes Chicken Inn are beginning to turn the corner, with the team showing improvement after the mid-season break.
Away from football, the coach has also found himself embracing a different pace of life in Bulawayo, a city he says has humbled him and offered a welcome change from the fast-moving environment he was accustomed to.
Chicken Inn presently sit ninth on the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League log with 42 points from 30 matches, one point behind Highlanders, who occupy eighth place, but with a game in hand.
Their position reflects the ground Ndiraya and his charges have made after climbing out of the relegation zone, although there is still work to do before the season concludes.
“It’s been an interesting journey so far,” Ndiraya said.
“We really expected to start on a good note, which we did, but then we stuttered along the way due to several reasons, including culture change, technical team changes and also the new players coming in. It took time for us to adjust.”
The transition proved challenging as Ndiraya worked to get his players accustomed to his ideas and build cohesion within a reshaped squad.
The coach, however, believes the work is beginning to pay off, with new arrivals bringing fresh qualities to the team and helping improve their performances.
“Once we got our act together, we then started to see a change in our performances, particularly after the mid-season break,” he said.
“We brought in some players who brought in a different dimension in terms of our play. We saw some improvement which lifted us from the relegation zone to where we are right now. It’s been quite a journey.”
The improvement has offered encouragement after a difficult spell, although Chicken Inn will need to maintain their progress as they seek to finish the campaign strongly.
For Ndiraya, the experience has also extended beyond the technical area. Bulawayo’s modest lifestyle has forced him to slow down and embrace a more settled routine.
“On a personal note, we found a place that is good and normal. You do things in a normal way,” he said.
“We came here with speed, but the environment humbled us, brought us down to earth and we started living the normal way. People in Bulawayo live a modest life and we have been enjoying ourselves.”
His remarks offer a glimpse into how the city has shaped his experience since taking charge of the Gamecocks. While the demands of rebuilding the team remain, he appears to have found comfort in an environment that encourages a simpler way of life.
Ndiraya arrived with a huge task, but the early struggles have given way to signs of progress, while Bulawayo has provided a setting in which he and his team can settle.
For a coach tasked with rebuilding Chicken Inn, the journey is far from over. But with performances improving and life in the City of Kings agreeing with him, Ndiraya appears to be finding his feet on and off the pitch.
