Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
SCOTTLAND coach Tonderai Ndiraya is expecting his squad to play more cohesively in the second half of the season from the blocks laid in the opening phase of their debut Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.
The Mabvuku club ended the first half of the term on a losing note, falling to a 0-1 defeat to TelOne at Rufaro last Saturday, thanks in large part to a strong bout of flu that hit their camp in the build-up to that match.
Scottland boast quality and depth and they might easily be the best team on paper.
But they have not exactly stepped up to that billing, picking up 27 points in 17 games, with one of those matches still pending a boardroom verdict.
They are eight points behind leaders and champions Simba Bhora but they could cut that gap to just five if they are, as is most likely, awarded the three points from their abandoned game against Chicken Inn.
A PSL disciplinary committee chaired by Doreen Gapare, which also includes Wellington Magaya, Thomas Nyawo and Memory Mukapa, will sit tomorrow to deliberate on the matter in which the Gamecocks walked off in protest to a late penalty that had been awarded to Scottland.
But away from the boardroom developments, Scottland were largely expected to exert themselves in the league given the massive investment they made in assembling the squad they have in their ranks.
Ndiraya, who won the league title with Simba Bhora last season, knows the expectations are high but argues the players couldn’t have outperformed themselves given that they were coming from diverse philosophies. In any case, Scottland chiefs have demanded just a top-four finish but the former Dynamos gaffer is pulling hard to give them the bonus he feels they deserve.
“Obviously I know the pressure that comes with having a big squad like the one that we have. And I think I said it before that you really need a team for you to push.
“You need a team. And in the beginning, I think we didn’t have that. We didn’t have a team, but we then started to see the players getting to understand each other as the games progressed,” said Ndiraya.
“And I think from match-day nine going forward, up to this game (match-day 17), we have seen a lot of improvement from the team. The team has been putting in a very good shift. But at times we have been unfortunate, failing to score or lacking the needed concentration in critical areas.
“But overall, 27 points in 17 games, without looking at the pressure that is really exerted on us from outside the club, the team has done very, very well.
“We didn’t think that by this stage of the season, we would will be where we are sitting on 27 points.’’
For the ex-Ngezi Platinum and Dynamos coach, the strides he has seen his charges make in both training and competition have reflected so much promise for the newboys, in the second half of the season. “I think we can only improve going forward. Like I’ve said, we have to sit down with the management and see how best we can navigate the last 17 games.
“So, for me, good competition for all the teams in the league in the first round of matches. Then, of course, we also gave very good competition to the teams that we played against, hoping to improve in the second round of matches, starting next weekend, when we visit Triangle.”
Ndiraya and his men make the long trip to Triangle who have shown significant revival signs in their past three matches.
Since the arrival of Genesis Mangombe at the Lowveld side, the Sugar Sugar Boys have gradually transformed from being relegation candidates to a competitive outfit capable of landing strong blows on any team.
“I know Triangle were never a bad team and they have struck the right chords right now,” said Ndiraya.
“We have to go out there carrying the right mentality.
“We narrowly defeated them at home on match-day one. But a lot has changed in-between. We will be out to get the maximum points but we know we will have to really work for that.”
Ndiraya will also be happy that his top stars who include Khama Billiat, Walter Musona and Nelson Chadya are now showing their quality.
