Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WITH the Premier Soccer League now at the halfway mark, pressure is mounting on the shoulders of Yadah Stars coach Takaendesa Jongwe and the Miracle Boys may need a phenomenon to survive Castle Lager Premier Soccer League relegation if their results are anything to go by.
Jongwe’s men have been blowing hot and cold since the start of the season and are part of the relegation matrix, sitting in 17th place and just a rung above basement side Kwekwe United with 14 points from 17 games.
With the championship programme reaching the half-way mark and the signs still not looking any better, each match is beginning to feel like a desperate gamble for Jongwe as he fights to rescue the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries outfit from the quagmire.
“We are treading on a very dangerous path and it is time to look into the mirror and see how best to turn things around,” a worried Jongwe said.
Defeats have been accumulating weekly and the recent back-to-back losses to Dynamos and Simba Bhora by identical 0-1 scorelines have compounded Yadah’s situation, raising more fears about relegation in Jongwe.
A widely travelled coach, Jongwe is still haunted by the manner in which his Chegutu Pirates were relegated at the end of last season, after just a season’s flirtation with the Premiership.
He had joined Chegutu Pirates midway through the season as a replacement for the fired Day Gutu.
Yadah’s situation was not helped by their FIFA transfer ban, which saw the Harare side having to make do with a very thin 14-man squad in their opening four matches of the season.
A former ZIFA technical director, Jongwe’s failure to save Chegutu Pirates continues to send a chill down his spine.
“I do not wish to go through what I experienced at Chegutu Pirates again.
“When I joined them, I embraced the role with optimism and we even did well, collecting points but it was already late, we failed to collect enough to survive.
“I still carry a heavy heart. The past experiences taught me a lot, which I feel we need to avoid as Yadah if we are to survive,” he said.
Now Jongwe finds himself in a deeply uncomfortable position with Yadah, as he watches his team falter under his leadership.
He said the pain of witnessing this decline is intense for him and in order to avoid a repeat of past disappointments, Jongwe is seeking immediate solutions to steer Yadah from relegation.
This includes an urgent call to arms to his players, who he challenged to introspect and play their parts in the survival mission.
Jongwe believes Yadah should confront their shortcomings and make necessary adjustments if they are to escape the chop.
“The previous experience taught me that it is not safe to wait until the last minute to fight for survival, pressure towards the end of the season may land us in a huge mess, so we should start collecting points now and move to a safe space.
“We have the experience in our team, so I believe that it is an issue of mentality that we need to focus on…most people do not believe that Pirates had good players, but I know they had, save that they only started to seriously fight at the last minute.
“Further, being in the danger zone like this can also have a negative emotional impact on some players hence the need for psychological assistance.
“For me, the thought of witnessing that same disheartening scenario unfold once more will be unbearable; we need to turn things around before it is too late.”
Apart from the FIFA ban on transfers, Yadah also lost talisman Khama Billiat, Blessed Ndereki, Methius Kigonya, Marshal Takarinda and Clive Mandivei to rival Premiership clubs.
dyton mupawaenda