Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WHEN Chicken Inn host high-riding Scottland at Barbourfields this afternoon, the spotlight will fall on striker Lynoth Chikuhwa.
Deemed excess baggage at Scottland, Chikuhwa had joined the league debutants at the beginning of the year from Highlanders.
The 2024 Castle Lager Golden Boot award winner was, however, forced to retrace his footsteps back to Bulawayo during the mid-season transfer window after failing to establish himself at Scottland.
But Chikuhwa, who managed just a goal for Scottland, did not go back to Boss as he joined the Gamecocks instead.
Chikuhwa looks set to prove to Scottland that he still a lethal weapon.
“I feel motivated to be playing against my parent club tomorrow because I was in that structure for months and I got to learn a lot,” he said.
“There is a lot that I learnt there and I now understand certain things about them . . . some of the lessons that I got there have been key in my rebuilding.”
Interestingly this reunion comes at Barbourfields, a place that Chikuhwa called home for many years under Bosso. Most of his goals for Bosso last year came at the Barbourfields.
However, his move to Scottland became a mistake that placed a damper on his career.
Now he finds himself with Chicken Inn, trying to resuscitate his career at a time when he was ordinarily expected to be among top scorers on the PSL charts and perhaps with national team caps.
“I believe it is part of the game you know football can be like that.
“No hard feelings at all on how things happened for me but I am just glad that at least I got another club that gave me a platform to find my feet again.”
What makes this outing fascinating is that the two sides find themselves in different trajectories. Scottland will be hoping to maintain their stay at the top of the log table where they are currently perched with 56 points to their name.
They are just a point ahead of Simba Bhora, who still have a game in hand, following their appearance at the CAF Champions League.
On their part Chicken Inn have been blowing hot and cold this season and currently are 10th on the log table with 33points.
Swimming in the relegation matrix, the Gamecocks will be hoping to collect points and sail to a place of safety to avert demotion at all costs.
Chikuhwa, who is often being paired with Michael Charamba upfront for Chicken Inn will be expected to get goals for the hosts.
“I have nothing against Scottland and everything that happened is in the past now, after all, I am still contracted to them,” said Chikuhwa. “Even when I play against them I will simply be doing my job.
“I am employed to score goals so I am looking forward to a great game where I hope to do well; as a player your wish is to win with the team you are playing for and I will be fighting for that.
“I am not the one who made the decision to have me at Chicken Inn, all I can say is that a football decision had to be made anyway.
“Most importantly I learnt a lot about the game and decision making but anyway I do not blame anyone…it is all about football, my passion is still alive.”
