Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FRINGE national team goalkeeper Donovan Bernard wants to leave Ngezi Platinum Stars FC and is believed to have expressed his interest in joining former league champions Chicken Inn.
Donovan is among a host of unsettled Ngezi players who want to leave the platinum rich club.
Impeccable sources said Donovan (23) and 24-year-old central midfielder Tichaona Chipunza approached Chicken Inn last week seeking to join the Bulawayo based side.
“They (Donovan and Chipunza) want to leave Ngezi and have approached Chicken Inn. It is highly likely that the two will join Chicken Inn. Most players want to leave Ngezi especially those who felt frustrated after coach Tonderai Ndiraya was fired with five games left before the season ended,” said the source.
Should Donovan and the former Dynamos midfielder complete their moves, they will join striker Clive Augusto who signed a two-year deal with the Gamecocks.
Chicken Inn secretary-general Tavengwa Hara said: “There are players that the coaches have identified and we are working round the clock to sign them before the end of the year. It’s true that Bernard and Chipunza approached us and we told them to put their interests in writing. They are good players but also note that the decision to sign them lies with the coaches.”
At Chicken Inn, Donovan who hopes to bounce back into the national team, will fight for a starting place with Pride Zendera and Samuel Mafukudze. Chicken Inn, who finished the 2018 league campaign third on the table behind champions FC Platinum and runners-up Ngezi Platinum Stars, have said they want youthful players to bolster their squad as they prepare to launch a strong title challenge nex season. The Gamecocks have also signed Bulawayo City’s central attacking midfielder Sipho Ndlovu as well as 19-year-old Aces Youth Academy product Panashe Mutasa who turned out for Dynamos in the 2018 season.
— @ZililoR
Online Reporter