daniel chigunwe
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
DYNAMOS coach Lloyd “Ma Blanyo” Chigowe feels striker Elton Chikona can still wake up from his deep slumber and realise his maximum potential.
Chikona, a Dynamos juniors graduate, was expected to sparkle for the Glamour Boys last season following an impressive debut in 2023.
But he failed to deliver even a fraction of his performance from the preceding term.
He was easily the flop of the season at the Glamour Boys after not only failing to find the back of the net, but also struggling to even make it into the match-day roaster on a regular basis.
It was so poor from a man who had been voted the Premier Soccer League Rookie of the Year in his first season with the big boys, during which he scored seven goals.
After that decent showing, Chikona was touted as one of the biggest prospects for DeMbare locally and internationally as the Harare giants were to play in the CAF Confederation Cup in 2024.
But he was a big miss.
Chikona did not help his cause either when being ejected from the national Under-20 camp on allegations of falsifying his birth documents.
It is the latter and general psychological pressure to maintain or surpass set standards than anything else that might have weighed down on Chikona, according to Chigowe.
“Elton (Chikona) is still around and is still the good player that we all saw in 2003.
“Believe you me, he is still that swift attacker who can bang goals from all angles.
“In fact, he is now better off,” said Chigowe.
“We decided to retain him because I know his potential. Yes, he was down last year, having previously been the ideal young man that Dynamos were missing upfront.
“The second season is always tricky, so I believe that weighed on him a lot.
“Look, we are talking of a young man who was so good in his debut season.
“It was only natural that a lot was expected of him in his second season, especially given his promise.
“I know for sure his problems could have been psychological rather than anything else.
“Obviously after doing so well in your first year, you have that pressure to maintain the gear or improve. Once that gets over you, obviously you might fail to cope up.”
Chigowe said Chikona can still find his feet this upcoming season because there will be no too much pressure on him.
“He was down the pecking order last year, and he has been working very hard to climb up the ladder again.
“I see him coming up again, especially given he should be mature by now.
“His problems from last season should have been mental, and he could have been in need of just theoretical pep talks.
“We are giving him all the support necessary, and I believe he will be keen to do well.” Chikona will be expected to lead the Dynamos attack line, which has thinned out with the departure of Emmanuel Paga, Sadney Urikhob, and Eli Ilunga.
But he will still have to be careful, as he could still find himself down the pecking order with the arrival of fellow strikers Farai Mutatu and Ghanaian Frank Agyemang, adding on to the already available competition from Alexander Mandinyenya and Valentine Kadonzvo.
Online Reporter