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Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
NELSON CHADYA’s deep faith keeps him going.
Once every week, he quietly fasts and his teammates rarely get to notice it.
The Ngezi Platinum Stars goalkeeper could become the first goalkeeper to make it on the Soccer Stars calendar for a third consecutive season if he does well in the last seven league games for his team.
He could as well become the first one to win the Goalkeeper of the Year accolade twice inside three years if, as is likely, he manages to keep the highest number of clean sheets of the lot in the league.
Already, the 26-year-old has shut his goal 16 times in 25 games, one less than Chicken Inn’s Donovan Bernard, who has maintained 17 in 27 games.
Chadya has been breached just 15 times, three better than Bernard and four better than Dynamos goalkeepers Martin Mapisa and Tatenda Makoni combined.
And the agile goalkeeper whose team entertains slim chances of defending the championship title says his focus is to keep more clean sheets than what he did in the past two years.
Chadya managed 19 clean sheets in 2022 on his way to winning the Goalkeeper of the Year award before managing 16, which inspired Ngezi to a maiden league championship title last season.
On both occasions, the former Heartily man made it to the Soccer Star of the Year calendar.
“It’s not about Nelson Chadya but about my beloved team Ngezi Platinum Stars,” said Chadya.
“I aim to keep at least 20 clean sheets this season. I know it is very difficult but we still have seven matches to play and barring injuries or suspensions, I know it’s doable.
“All the credit goes to my teammates and my coaches who are always on the spot drilling us as a team and giving us all the guidance, on and off the field of play.
“I hope that I play my role distinctly and help my team achieve set objectives.”
Ngezi will go into battle against Hwange in a rescheduled league tie at Baobab on Saturday hoping to close in on run-away leaders Simba Bhora who need just seven points from five games to clinch the title.
Mathematically the miners can pip Simba Bhora to the title but practically it looks too huge a hurdle to surmount.
Chadya knows it will be difficult but not impossible.
His team have two outstanding games against Hwange and Dynamos with the backlog having accrued when they were playing in the CAF Champions League.
“We all know the task is just too big but we never focus on what this team is doing or not doing. Perhaps we had a good chance to drag ourselves back into the championship matrix but then we didn’t get into the best groove in our recent matches,” added Chadya.
“Resultantly we fell far behind and it’s now a matter of fighting with the skins of our teeth to try and defend the league title.
“We will do that but if it goes the other way round, that’s it and we will just try to make sure that we finish the marathon in a strong position.
“The aim is to win all our remaining matches and see where we would be at the end. Hwange is never an easy opponent because they are fighting relegation. They have also picked some solid form and that makes them very difficult to beat.
“But the boys are well motivated to get the maximum points on Saturday.”
Chadya will be hoping to keep another clean sheet on Saturday to enhance his chances of winning the Goalkeeper of the Year accolade for the second time in three years.
Being Ngezi’s best performer this season, his place on the calendar is also almost guaranteed and that will help him reach the stars.
Chadya could also be on his way back into the national team fold especially with the Africa Cup of Nations (CHAN) qualifiers looming later this month.
The CHAN is contested only by players playing in their national leagues.
Online Reporter
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