Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere
CHICKEN Inn coach Tonderai Ndiraya has admitted that his side remains a work in progress despite ending a three-match losing streak with a goalless draw against CAPS United at Barbourfields Stadium on Wednesday.
The stalemate stretched the Gamecocks’ winless run to five matches, a worrying sequence that includes three consecutive defeats followed by back-to-back draws, leaving the former champions searching for answers midway through the season.
While some supporters may be concerned by the club’s recent struggles, Ndiraya believes the bigger picture shows signs of improvement as he attempts to rebuild a side that flirted dangerously with relegation last season.
“We are trying to bring the team to life,” said Ndiraya.
“It has been difficult for us. We lost three games on the trot and then drew against Agama before another draw today (on Wednesday against CAPS United). Of course, a point is better than nothing.”
The Chicken Inn mentor acknowledged that expectations remain high at a club that won the league title in 2015 and has traditionally been regarded as one of Zimbabwe’s football powerhouses.
“When you look at what this club has achieved before as former champions, people expect Chicken Inn to be up there competing with the big teams,” he said.
“But you also have to consider where the team is coming from. Last year, we nearly got relegated. This season we have been trying to bring the team back to life and make it competitive again.”
Ndiraya’s comments paint the picture of a coach balancing expectations with reality.
Against title-chasing CAPS United, Chicken Inn showed resilience and could even have snatched victory late on, but the inability to convert chances once again highlighted the problems that have plagued the Bulawayo side during their recent slump.
The draw may have stopped the bleeding after three straight defeats, but Ndiraya was quick to admit that the team remains some distance from where he wants it to be.
“What is important is where we want to be at the end of the season. Quite honestly, we don’t want to fall into the same trap that the team was in last year,” he said.
“So from that angle, I think there is some progress. But not enough, really.”
With the Gamecocks still struggling to rediscover the consistency that once made them one of the most feared teams in the league, pressure is beginning to mount on a side desperate to avoid another season spent looking over its shoulder.
For now, Ndiraya is asking for patience. But after five games without a win, Chicken Inn know they must soon turn encouraging performances into victories if they are to silence growing concerns and climb away from danger.
In their next fixture, the Gamecocks are going to take on tricky Herentals College. —@FungaiMuderere
