Chronicle Editor
Curthworth Masango
Manica Diamonds coach Jairos Tapera has been touted as the person behind Kuda Mahachi’s decision to join the club instead of Dynamos.
Mahachi was a free agent after his contract was terminated at Ghanaian topflight side, Madeama SC.
The winger was linked with a move to join Harare giants Dynamos before he was signed and unveiled by Manica Diamonds.
Club administrator Owen Sango revealed that Mahachi’s relationship with Tapera was crucial for the two sides to pen a deal.
The club sees Mahachi as a player, who can improve the depth of their squad while at the same time allowing him to revive his career.
“We looked at Kuda, and we have known him as a good player all this time. The challenges he faced were outside football and that affected his playing career and not that he was not good enough to continue playing football,” said Sango.
“So as a club, we saw it fit to give him a platform to revive his career at the same time he can help the team attain its goals.
“Several clubs were after his signature but his old relationship with coach Tapera from Under-20 national team helped us bring him home.
“Also, he was in a position where he didn’t want to be in Harare or Bulawayo where he would be subjected to too much pressure. Being with us was the perfect move for him as it would make life easier for him to revive his career.”
Sango believes they have assembled a good squad that will push for the league title. The club is also banking on the homologation of Sakubva stadium, which is set for inspection today.
“We have assembled a good team that we believe can compete and deliver the championship for us. The fact that we finished second last season lifts the bar of expectations high and we can’t afford to punch below as compared to last season.
“We are expecting Sakubva to be inspected tomorrow (today) by the FIB and we hope that all will go well. Its availability will be a major boost for the club and in many ways, the recommendations that would be given to us will indicate if we are going to use the stadium or not,” he said.
Online Reporter