Wenslus Murape
Tadious Manyepo, Sports Reporter
NELSON CHADYA’S deep faith keeps him going.
Once every week, he quietly fasts and his teammates rarely get to notice.
The Ngezi Platinum Stars goalkeeper could become the first goalkeeper to make it on the Soccer Stars calendar for a third consecutive season, in the era of the Premiership, if he does well in the last seven league games.
He could as well become the first one to win the Goalkeeper of the Year accolade twice inside three years if, as is likely, he manages to keep the most clean sheets of the lot in the league.
Already, the 26-year-old has 16 clean sheets in 25 games, one less than Chicken Inn’s Donovan Bernard, who has maintained 17 in 27 games.
“My aim is to keep, at least, 20 clean sheets this season. I know it is very difficult but we still have seven matches to play and barring injuries or suspensions, I know it’s doable.
“All the credit goes to my teammates and my coaches who are always on the spot drilling us as a team and giving us all the guidance, on and off the field of play.
“It is my hope that I play my role distinctly and help my team achieve set objectives.”
Ngezi Platinum will go into battle against Hwange in a rescheduled league tie at Baobab on Saturday hoping to close in on run-away leaders Simba Bhora, who need just seven points in five games to clinch the title.
“We all know the task is just too big but we never focus on what this team is doing or not doing.
“Perhaps we had a good chance to drag ourselves back into the championship matrix but then we didn’t get into the best groove in our recent matches.
“Resultantly, we fell far behind.
“The aim is to win all our remaining matches and see where we would be at the end.
“Hwange is never an easy opponent because they are fighting relegation. They have also picked some solid form and that makes them very difficult to beat.
“But the boys are well motivated to get the maximum points on Saturday.”
Online Reporter