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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League championship hopefuls Chicken Inn are likely to lose at least three of their key players to South African clubs in the next few weeks. The Gamecocks are fifth on the table tied on 31 points with fourth placed Caps United and are six points behind log leaders Harare City after 18 matches.
The Bulawayo based outfit is likely to lose lethal striker Tendai Ndoro who is the leading Premiership goalscorer with 11 goals from 15 matches, former Highlanders striker Mkhokheli Dube and skipper Felix Chindungwe.
Ndoro and Dube are already in South Africa while Chindungwe is with the senior national men’s team in Harare preparing for the African Nations Championships (Chan) first round qualifier against Mauritius at the George V Stadium on Sunday.
Dube is at Absa Premiership returnees Mpumalanga Black Aces, a club which is reportedly eager to sign former Hwange and Caps United utility player Method Mwanjali whose contract with Mamelodi Sundowns has expired.
Dube who was on target when Chicken Inn lost 2-3 to Black Mambas on Saturday has had stints in the United States of America and before joining Chicken Inn, he played briefly for Durban’s AmaZulu.
Chindungwe who was the rock of Zimbabwe’s defence at the Cosafa Cup in Zambia is said to have won losts of admiration at the regional tournament with scouts for unnamed South African clubs making efforts for the player to attend trials.
Chicken Inn’s chairman Lifa Ncube yesterday confirmed that there have been enquiries for Ndoro, Dube and Chindungwe.
He said they were already preparing for the players’ replacements in the event that the trio leaves Gamecocks.
“It is a good thing for the club to have some of our players getting courted for possible moves for greener pastures outside the country. Two of our players Ndoro and Dube are already in South Africa on trials and we received a phone call from another club seeking to have a look at our captain but we told them to formalise their request through a letter. All the players have contributed immensely in the first half and we wish them the best,” said Ncube.
Ndoro was also part of the Warriors’ squad in the Cosafa Cup where he scored two goals in the semi-final when Zimbabwe beat Lesotho 2-1.
The league’s leading goal scorer is having a trial stint at Wits University alongside former Warriors’ defender Dickson Choto.
Other Zimbabweans contracted with Wits University include Tinashe Nengomasha, Thomas Sweswe, Denver Mukamba and Benjani Mwaruwari.
“We have already signed Clemence Matawu and Dylan Chivandire in a move meant to strengthen our squad. We also have good players in our reserve side who are capable of filling the void that might be left by the departure of the three players (Ndoro, Dube and Chindungwe),” said Ncube.
Already, Zephaniah Ngodzo and Guide Goddard have been playing as central defenders in the absence of Chindungwe with Thomas ‘Mahinya’ Chimenya, Lenience ‘Qobho’ Mpofu, Tendai ‘Kid’ Mukambi, Marshal Marime, Matawu and Chivandire competing for attacking positions which are played by Dube and Ndoro.
Online Reporter