admin
Bruce Chikuni
BEHIND every outstanding goalkeeper, there is an unsung hero who rarely gets the plaudits for ensuring the goalminders perfect their art.
That has been the tale of Manica Diamonds’ goalkeepers’ trainer Thembinkosi Sibanda, who is slowly turning Godfrey Chitsumba into one of the safest pars of hands on the land.
Chitsumba will have only himself to blame if he does not win the Castle Lager Premiership Golden Glove award this season as he is leading the race with 14 clean sheets in 19 attempts.
Nelson Chadya of Ngezi Platinum and Chicken Inn’s Donovan Bernard are breathing down his neck with 11 clean sheets apiece.
Yet Chitsumba was Tadious Baye’s understudy last season and in the Gem Boys’ first two fixtures of the campaign which they conceded six times.
Baye will live to curse their two opening fixtures which they lost 2-3 against Simba Bhora and a 1-3 defeat at the hands of TelOne.
That marked the introduction of Chitsumba, who has been beaten only five times this campaign.
Sibanda is also the man who unearthed Baye when GreenFuel secured their Premiership ticket three seasons ago as he was also the winner of the ZIFA Eastern Region Division One Soccer League after conceding five times in 26 matches.
Some believe Baye’s inclusion in the Warriors squad which recently played the World Cup Qualifiers and COSAFA Cup in South Africa could have been a no brainer.
But that privilege was handed to Chitsumba, who struggled to embrace the task.
Lately, however, Manica Diamonds have been enduring a nervy run which has seen them recording just a win in their last eight outings.
Chitsumba has been their teams’ guiding light as he has been breached just twice during the period under review.
And, Sibanda might not get the credit he deserves for helping Chitsumba to be considered to play for the Warriors since the Gem Boys head coach Jairos Tapera was in charge of the selection during his interim spell with the senior national side.
But, Sibanda will be in a position to claim all the glory if Chitsumba does not lose his grip in the Golden Glove marathon.
Sibanda told Zimpapers Sport that he is hopeful Chitsumba will be monumental in their bid to stem their current winless streak.
“I’m happy with the progress which Chitsumba is making, he is growing to become a player which he was destined to be.
“He just needs to be focused because he is no longer the same player he was at the start of the season and I think his teammates have helped him a lot.
“I will be happy for him if he wins the Golden Glove but that is not our priority at the moment and he also knows that our focus is on turning the corner at the moment and he has a big role to play in ensuring that,” said Sibanda.
Online Reporter