Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
AGAMA coach Paul “Popopo” Chimalinzeni says he just had to install the right software in the players when he arrived at the ambitious Northern Region Soccer League team a month ago.
The Mt Darwin club were losing steam in the Premiership promotion race, trailing leaders N’ombeyawora by seven points when the leadership decided to replace coach Arthur Tutani with Chimalinzeni.
The latter and the former are close friends and they were in charge when leading Simba Bhora to the top-flight in 2022. And Chimalinzeni, who had to leave Premiership strugglers Kwekwe United to take up the Agama job fully trusts Tutani and he knew the players his predecessor had assembled were of the right quality.
But they lacked the right mental fortitude to fight on.
“Yea, it was difficult taking up the baton stick from my close ally. But this is the nature of this job. What I was sure of was that the team had the right players because they had been under a good coach who doesn’t take chances when it comes to quality,” said Chimalinzeni.
“We were seven points behind the leaders, and I realised the boys needed some mental coaching. I am happy that we managed to deliver the message, and it reached home.”
Now Agama is back firmly in contention for the NRSL title, and they won their first match of the second half break beating Chegutu Pirates 3-0 at home.
They are level on points at the top with N’ombeyawora but the Mabvuku team lead the standings by virtue of having a superior goal difference.
Chimalinzeni who won the Premier Soccer League with Simba Bhora last year as the assistant to Tonderai Ndiraya said Agama will care for their own matches.
“There is still a lot of football to be played this season. The games are coming thick and fast. The idea is to play and win our own games while caring less for those matches that do not involve us,” he added.
“We are really confident. The Mt Darwin people love football and they want Premiership football in their community next year. We will try to give them that but there is a lot of work ahead.”
Agama have further strengthened their squad bringing in Simbarashe Maramwidze and Malvern Nyaudanga from Trojan Stars as well as Axon Labana and Emmanuel Chambara from Banket United and Zambezi G & C respectively.
They managed to retain chief striker Tinashe Balakasi who was a wanted man with Central Region side Hardrock having expressed keen interest.
But with Chimalinzeni on sight, Balakasi wasn’t going to leave Agama.
It is Chimalinzeni who identified Balakasi while he was playing for Division 2 side Budiriro Gunners back in 2013 and took him to Mushowani Stars before the lanky forward’s career took off.
