Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
TODAY marks exactly one year since Nilton Terroso set foot in the country to take charge of Bulawayo Chiefs.
With just five games to this season’s end, Terroso has had enough games to face the jury on his input at the club. Since his arrival, the Portuguese expatriate’s command has seen an improvement at the club.
The numbers show the Portuguese coach is on the right track and squeezing the right things out of the squad at his disposal. He is well set to lead Chiefs to their highest placing on the table since they got promoted.
In 2018 they finished 13th with 39 points and ended the following season in the same position, but with 41 points.
This season, Chiefs are on position eight on the table with 42 points from 29 games. He has won 11 of those while managing nine losses and the same number of stalemates. His side has scored 26 while conceding 23.
They are also in the semi-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup which is a first for the club. They knocked out Highlanders in the process. Terroso has brought a different approach together with a winning formula at Amakhosi Amahle. He has turned Chiefs into a mid-table side while also ensuring they become a team that chases for trophies.
He is grateful to his players for his success.
“It will be a year on Tuesday (today) that I arrived here for the first time. For me the group, the players have been astonishing,” said Terroso.
“I have always said they deserve recognition in terms of the quality that we have and how we play.
“In terms of belief and motivation there hasn’t been a difficulty for me. I think maybe to a certain extent my possible obsession and passion to win and make them better seems to be rubbing off on them.
“The players have always come in wanting to help each other to win this. I think that is why we have constantly moved forward step by step and that is what we will want to do in the next six games as well. It’s still work in progress with this team,” said Terroso.
His worst game in Zimbabwe has to be when he faced Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium in March this year.
“I have never seen this in my life,” remarked Terroso after that match.
Terroso watched in disbelief the dirty side of Zimbabwean football. Chiefs lost that encounter 2-0.
His side missed a penalty after Dynamos had forced a 15-minute stoppage that puzzled Terroso.
Referee Hardley Ndazi had awarded Chiefs a penalty in the 62nd minute of the game for a handling offence. The visitors’ players and officials protested against the referee’s decision leading to a 15-minute stoppage that Dynamos used to their advantage.
The long break and throwing of missiles by fans was something Terroso had never witnessed in his career. But Dynamos knew exactly what they were doing. It was a psychological battle in which the Glamour Boys came out tops. — @innocentskizoe
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