admin
Lovemore Zigara in Gweru
FOR the first time since parting ways in 2012 Chapungu coach Tendai Chikuni and Chicken Inn gaffer Rahman “Dr Rush” Gumbo square off when their teams clash in a Castle Lager premiership encounter at Ascot Stadium this afternoon.
It will be a master and student affair when Dr Rush takes on his understudy today with Gumbo coming to Gweru with the hope of notching a win to enhance his chances of ensuring his side wins a second title in three years.
The former Highlanders mentor whose side is tied on 28 points with log leaders Ngezi Platinum but are separated by goals, might also want to show his protégé that he is still the grandmaster in the game.
Gumbo showed Chikuni the ropes in coaching when he took him to Malawi and Botswana as his assistant before landing the FC Platinum job in 2011 where the two worked together.
However, Gumbo’s stay at the platinum miners ended prematurely as the then Nathan Shoko-led FC Platinum board terminated his contract leaving Chikuni to take over the reins, albeit on a caretaker basis.
The two coaches have since developed with Chikuni emerging from the shadows of his former mentor and is slowly carving his name as a prospect for the future in as far as the profession is concerned.
For Chikuni, this will be the time to prove to his mentor that he is his own man and can still collect maximum points from his master.
However, from his tone he still has great respect for Gumbo.
“Rahman (Gumbo) has been an inspiration to me and I always update him on my developments in the game. He is always encouraging me and we exchange notes every time and again. So we have not lost touch and as such we are still very close,” said Chikuni.
The former Shabanie Mine coach added that his side is coming into today’s game as underdogs.
“It is not going to be an easy match because we are playing against the former champions who have been doing well lately.
“When you talk about form, quality and experience they are better than us and therefore we are the underdogs. It does not however mean that we are going into the match with a negative mentality. We are going to fight and we hope to come out with a positive result,” said Chikuni.
The airmen will be missing the services of Allen Tavarwisa who is still to recuperate from an injury and in his absence his strike partner Tinei Chitora is likely to partner either Phillip Marufu or Brighton Mugoni in attack.
Nigel Papius who has been showing flashes of brilliance lately may be given a run by Chikuni.
The airmen will be buoyed by the fact that they have only lost at home once to Hwange at the end of the season barring the 4–0 massacre to Dynamos a fortnight ago in the game which was abandoned in the 56th minute after one of the goalposts collapsed.
On Thursday the PSL disciplinary committee set to determine the fate of the game and the outcome is expected to be known soon.
@lavuzigara1
Online Reporter