Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere-Zimpapers Sports Hub
AFTER suffering three consecutive defeats, Chicken Inn will be desperate to get their Castle Lager Prem-ier Soccer League campaign back on track when they face Agama at Wadzanayi this weekend.
The Gamecocks, who started the season with hopes of challenging near the top of the table, have endured a difficult spell in recent weeks, with back-to-back losses denting their momentum and raising concerns among their loyal supporters.
Now, coach Tonderai Ndiraya and his charges have an opportunity to halt the slide against an Agama side that will also be eager to make home advantage count.
The Bulawayo-based outfit knows that another setback could further complicate their ambitions, making the clash a must-win encounter for the former league champions.
Despite the recent poor run, there remains confidence within the Chicken Inn camp that the team has enough quality and experience to turn the corner.
The Gamecocks have shown flashes of their attacking prowess this season but have struggled to convert chances and have paid dearly for defensive lapses at crucial moments.
Following their one 1-0 away loss to ZPC Kariba and the build-up to their next match against Agama, Ndiraya said: “It’s unfortunate that we conceded again, far, far away from our goal. We have been conceding in similar fashion. But we keep our heads high, we are confident that we can turn things around.”
He added: “It has been a while that we have been consistent, we really need to move forward. We are hopeful that in our next game we can be a little bit sharper in front of goal. We have not scored goals in the last three games, and that has led to the situation that we find ourselves in, but it is something that we are running around to correct. Hopefully in our next fixture we can be clinical.
The trip to Wadzanayi in Shamva presents a stern test, with Agama expected to draw inspiration from their home crowd.
However, the Gamecocks’ experienced squad understands the importance of responding positively after a disappointing sequence of results.
For the club’s faithful supporters, the hope will be that the team rediscovers the fighting spirit that has long been associated with the Gamecocks.
With pressure mounting and points becoming increasingly valuable as the season progresses, all eyes will be on the Simbisa Brand bankrolled outfit to see whether they can finally stop the rot and breathe new life into their campaign.
A positive result against Agama could mark the beginning of a revival. Another defeat, however, would deepen the concerns surrounding a side searching for answers after three painful setbacks on the trot.
Week 16 PSL Fixtures
Tomorrow: FC Hunters vs Bulawayo Chiefs FC (Heart Stadium)
Saturday: Agama FC v Chicken Inn (Wadzanayi), Ngezi Platinum Stars v MWOS FC (Baobab), TelOne v Highlanders (Ascot), Herentals v Scottland (Rufaro)
Sunday: CAPS United v ZPC Kariba (Rufaro), Triangle United v FC Platinum (Gibbo), Manica Diamonds v Dynamos (Sakubva), Hardrock v Simba Bhora (Chahwanda)
I have said it before that our football can never develop as long as we have mediocre coaches and we circulate them like prostitutes. Tonderai Ndiraya won back to back league titles with two different clubs and was hailed as a super coach. The same Tonderai is struggling at Chicken n Chips? What has happened to him now? In our football teams’ success is based on destroying some teams and building others. It is a myth that money improves the game of football. Maybe it does elsewhere but not in Zimbabwe. Tonderai became a “super” coach after he joined Simba Bhora. But how did he achieve that? It was through Simba Ndoro destroying CAPS United, Highlanders and Dynamos by poaching all the “good” players from these teams to strengthen Simba Bhora. He even poached managers. He then went on to hire Tonderai as head coach. People hailed Simba Bhora as an impressive outfit that was being run professionally. We all know the same Tonderai had been fired at Ngezi Platinum before he joined Dynamos where he was also relieved of his duties for poor performance. The same trick was used when he joined Scottland FC. He destroyed Simba Bhora by taking the “best” players from Simba Bhora with him. Scottland did well through buying the “best” players and keeping them from other teams. Scottland, using financial muscle, made sure that other teams had no access to these players. Tonde lasted just one season at Scottland and was replaced by an equally useless coach in Norman Mapeza who was faltering at FC Platinum. FC Platinum’s coffers had also run dry and it could not poach good players from poorer teams. Tonde is at Chicken n Chips that cannot afford to buy “good” players from other teams and his poor coaching skills are being exposed.