Online Reporter
Don Makanyanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WHEN Elias Chinyemba walked into TAFIC’s dressing room at the start of the 2024-2025 Botswana Premier League season, few could have predicted the fairy tale that was about to unfold.
Just a year prior, the former CAPS United striker had led the club into the top-flight league, only to be told he could not sit on the bench as head coach, because he did not hold a CAF A Licence.
For many, that blow might have signalled the end. But for Chinyemba, it only lit a fire.
“I was notified that I couldn’t coach in the Premier League because I had no CAF A coaching badge. It was a heartbreaking moment for me,” he recalls.
“Having worked with TAFIC, they gave me an opportunity to pursue my CAF A badge.”
He did not squander the chance.
Chinyemba returned armed with the elite coaching qualification, and with it, he rewrote the club’s history.
TAFIC not only secured their highest-ever finish in 32 years, second place, just six points behind champions Gaborone United, but also broke several club records along the way.
The team racked up 60 points, kept 18 clean sheets and found the net 51 times, their best offensive tally in a single campaign.
At 49, the former Green Machine forward is not just dreaming big; he is living it.
“To be honoured as the best coach in the Botswana Premier League is something I can’t describe with words. It feels great,” Chinyemba said, visibly moved, just days after being named the 2024-2025 Botswana Premier League Coach of the Year.
“I have won championships in lower-tier leagues, but being crowned the coach of the year is something exciting.”
For the Bindura-born tactician, the award is more than a personal accolade; it is a symbol of perseverance. His football journey, which began on the fields of Zimbabwe, has now reached new heights in Botswana, a country that has adopted him as one of its own.
But Chinyemba’s story is still being written. His eyes are firmly set on even greater milestones.
“I want to win the Botswana Premier League before moving to coach in South Africa,” he says. “And one day, I want to return to Zimbabwe and lead the national team.”
His ambitions are grounded in grit.
After TAFIC’s promotion, the club lost 14 players in the pre-season, a massive blow to a team already operating with limited financial muscle. With no marquee signings in sight, Chinyemba had to rebuild using unheralded talent from lower leagues.
“The 2024-2025 season was a difficult season for us as a team,” he admits. “My first task was to rebuild after we had lost 14 players during the pre-season period.
“With little financial resources to attract seasoned players, we had to rely on inexperienced players from lower leagues. But I am glad that God guided us. The exercise went on well, and we managed to finish as runners-up.”
It was not just about tactics.
Chinyemba’s ability to inspire belief in his players, many of whom had never tasted top-flight football, proved instrumental.
The team’s resilience was reflected in their defensive record, 18 clean sheets and attacking prowess, making them one of the most balanced sides in the league.
Now, with his stock at an all-time high, Chinyemba is preparing for a new chapter. He is set to join Orapa United for the 2025-2026 season, another sign of the growing demand for his services across Botswana’s football landscape.
Yet, even as he looks ahead, Chinyemba remains grounded in his roots and motivated by the dream that first took hold in Bindura.
“Being named coach of the year in a foreign land is something surreal,” he says.
“But my dream doesn’t end here.”
Online Reporter