Sweet journey into Africa

Langton Nyakwenda

A MODEST journey that was started by the late Gishon “Gizha” Ntini on April 20, 2013, when Triangle kicked their first Premier Soccer League ball, reaches its zenith next weekend when the Lowveld outfit embark on their maiden African Safari.

Now under the guidance of Taurai Mangwiro, the club’s fifth coach since Ntini won them promotion in 2012, Triangle begin their CAF Confederation Cup excursion with a trip to Burundi where they play little known Rukinzo FC in a first round, first leg tie.

The “Sugar Sugar Boys”, who are bankrolled by sugar manufacturing firm Tongaat Hulett, won the continental ticket after beating Harare City 2-0 in the 2018 Chibuku Super Cup final, in front of an appreciative crowd at Gibbo on November 10.

That was Triangle’s second major trophy after the NetOne One Wallet Cup, which they won at the expense of Dynamos in 2014.

Excitement and anticipation has gripped Chiredzi and surrounding areas as Mangwiro leads Triangle into Africa.

“This Caf Confederation Cup competition gives us the chance to grow the Tongaat Huletts (our sponsors) brand across the whole of Africa.

“This achievement shows the diversity of football. A small community like ours is representing the nation,” an excited Mangwiro said.

A coaching journeyman, Mangwiro is not new to continental club football, having been part of the Monomotapa cast in the 2009 Champions League.

He also guided Harare City on their Confederation Cup debut in 2016. Ralph Kawondera and Phineas Bhamusi were on target when Triangle clinched the CAF Confederation Cup ticket last season and Mangwiro has saluted his players ahead of next weekend’s away fixture against Rukinzo, who finished sixth in the 2018/2019 Burundi Ligue A.

The return leg is set for Barbourfields in Bulawayo a week later since Gibbo is not fit to host matches of this magnitude.

“This is all a result of their (players) hard work. It presents them with an opportunity to market themselves as well as explore Africa should they make an impression and stay longer in the competition – a target that we have set for ourselves,” said Mangwiro.

The seasoned coach has also brought in the pair of Brian Chikwenya from Yadah and Allan Tavarwisa from Chapungu to boost his squad. Theirs has been a Premiership journey of highs and lows.

Coaches Ntini, Biggie Zuze, Kelvin Kaindu, David Mandigora and now Mangwiro have been hired in the past seven seasons and scores of players have come and gone since Triangle’s promotion into the top flight league. The late Ntini, who preferred to call himself “The Lion of Zimbabwean Football”, thanks to his hard hitting comments, delivered the Premiership ticket on November 17, 2012 when Triangle beat Gaza Gunners 1-0 in Chipinge to clinch the Eastern Region Division One title.

It had taken 40 years for Triangle, who were formed in 1972, to gain promotion into the elite league and Ntini was at his usual boastfulness when he spoke about this achievement. “We will not be intimidated. ln fact we will spend the next 40 years in the Premiership to compensate for the years that we were languishing in the lower leagues,” Ntini told The Sunday Mail Sport back then soon after Triangle’s promotion in 2012.

That special ticket was delivered by a group of Premiership rejects who were assembled by the former Shooting Stars coach.

Former Caps United star Tineyi Meda captained that team, which also had the likes of William Mapfumo, Muchineripi Muneri, Leo Kurauzvione, Tofireyi Sambo and David Sengu.

Pascal Manhanga, Nhamo Lameck, Richard Kawondera and Tawanda Muyendi, who was the club’s leading scorer that season after banging 25 goals, were also part of that squad.

So ecstatic were the people of Chiredzi and Triangle that the then club secretary Alex Khumbula equated that promotion to winning the World Cup.

“It seems like we have won the World Cup. Everyone in Chiredzi and surrounding areas has been waiting for this moment for decades and we are glad this group of boys has made history,” said Khumbula in 2012.

Seven years later, Triangle are still fighting among the Premiership’s big boys and yesterday they featured in their 204th PSL match when they played Dynamos at Rufaro.

And the late Ntini, who passed away at the age of 42 on May 29, 2016, has every reason to be smiling in his grave.

With Adelaide Chikurungu as the cub president and lending her support to the Sugar Sugar Boys, Triangle might just have lady luck too on their maiden continental football journey.