Chigova could scale heights of greatness

Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE international ’keeper George Chigova could scale the heights of greatness, if he keeps his focus on improving his game, and can take his place among the finest goalkeepers to come out of this country.The big ’keeper produced a stellar performance, under intense pressure in a lively Battle of Zimbabwe showdown that lived up to all the hype generated in the countdown to the match, and was one of Dynamos’ stand-out players as they ground a 1-0 victory at Barbourfields to take over pole position in a tense race for the championship.

The 22-year-old was the rock on which the Glamour Boys built their stunning success story in the City of Kings, providing a reliable and impregnable last line of defence where the impressive performance of Victor Kamhuka, brought in to fill the big boots of the expelled Partson Jaure, also caught the eye.

Needing nothing, but victory in a game that could define or destroy a season in which they had stumbled on the road and struggled to find a reliable supplier of goals, DeMbare showed remarkable character, in the cauldron of Barbourfields, to stage another successful spectacular smash-and-grab mission.

Warriors’ coach Ian Gorowa, who was part of the crowd at Barbourfields, hailed Chigova as a ’keeper with the potential to touch the heavens and become one of the greatest to grace the football fields of this country.

“He made some great saves, when his team needed him to do it, and he was the main difference between the team that won and the one that lost in what was largely an entertaining, open and balanced game with chances on either side,” said Gorowa.

“I have always said that every team that wants to mount a successful championship challenge needs to have a very good ’keeper, a dependable one, because you are going to be tested and if you have a ’keeper who can be trusted then it becomes possible to go on and win championships.

“What impressed me about George is that he has this big-match temperament, he just doesn’t have any nerves and, if he has, he doesn’t show them and that’s not easy to do when you have been thrown into the deep end of very big matches.

“In think he commanded his area very well and, when his defence was beaten, he was there to produce some outstanding saves and if your ’keeper is doing that, it settles the defence and it helps them to remain focused.

“He impressed me a lot in that game on Sunday because he produced a big performance, on a big stage and in a very big match, and he made it look so easy and he should keep building on such performances because the sky is the limit for him. His future looks very good.”

Gorowa said Chigova did not only play his goalkeeping roles, but had a huge influence, in how the game flowed, by delaying the match, on the occasions that Bosso were piling on the pressure, and allowing his troops to recover and also get further instructions from their bench.

The Warriors’ coach said while Chigova might have taken his tactics a bit far, on Sunday, it worked for his team.
“It was an epic contest and when the heat was on, you could see that he took the pressure off his team by going down now and again and that tends to frustrate the opponents, especially when they feel they are now on top, and it helps your team to re-organise itself,” said Gorowa.

“He might probably have taken his act a bit too far and it was quite frustrating, if you were a Bosso fan or player, because when the breaks in the game came they felt that their team was now on top and they wanted to make it count now.

“But you can’t fault him for helping his team, he did what he felt was right, slowing the game when it was necessary and you will get that from all the top goalkeepers when their team is under pressure and then making the big saves when he had to make them.”

In August this year, Gorowa made a big decision, ahead of the decisive second leg of the final CHAN qualifier against Zambia in Ndola, when he threw Chigova into the starting XI, replacing Tafadzwa Dube who had been his preferred first-choice ‘keeper since he took over from German mentor Klaus Dieter Pagels.

The coach was rewarded with a fine performance by his ‘keeper as the Warriors emerged out of the stormy contest unscathed as they powered to a 1-0 victory, the first defeat conceded by Zambia at their new home in Ndola, and swept into the CHAN finals.

It’s something that Gorowa remembers and he says he saw the ‘keeper display the same big-match qualities at Barbourields on Sunday.
“In Zambia I threw him into the deep end and he came to the party in a very big way, he was impressive and did everything that we had expected of him in that match and helped us win that game,” said Gorowa.

“I have always felt, since I felt saw him, that this boy is going to go places in his career and I am so sure that he will go all the way, as long as he keeps his feet on the ground and continues to listen to his coaches, he can find himself in Europe.

“It’s not easy for African ‘keepers to make it into Europe but special ones can make it and I see something special in this boy and it’s likely that he will go to South Africa soon but that should just be part of his development programme because I feel he deserves a bigger stage.

“Highlanders have a good ‘keeper, too, and Munya (Diya) did well in the game and that’s why they are up there with the leaders in this race because you can only sustain it if you have a reliable goalminder.”