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Tadious Manyepo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
SCOTTLAND coach Tonderai Ndiraya says the hype around their massive pool of talented players could be an exercise in futility if they fail to shape up.
The Mabvuku-based outfit have been the busiest of the 18 Premier Soccer League Clubs on the transfer market, making the widest of strides by swooping on most of the best players in the local front.
They signed the Premiership’s best players from the 2024 season – Soccer Star of the Year Walter Musona and his runners-up Lynoth Chikuhwa, who also won the Golden Boot, and Khama Billiat.
But Ndiraya feels the real deal will come from their ability to tactically gel in and bring results on the table.
“Look, I am the driver of this great orchestra and I am very happy to lead a group of this talented pool,” said Ndiraya.
“But we need to be realistic. We have a lot of work cut out for us and that’s what we are doing right now.
“We are working tirelessly to tap the potential that we have and ensure that we get the right combinations.
“At the end of the day, what we want to have is a team. We are trying to get a team from these individuals and see what happens.”
Ndiraya said he was happy with how the players have been responding to his methods since they kick-started their off-season preparations.
The former Dynamos gaffer was lured from Simba Bhora who he led to championship glory in only their second season in the league last year.
“So far, so good. The preparations are going on very well and we expect to see more improvement in terms of how we want to shape us as a team,” he said.
“We have been working on fitness mainly, both physical and mental given that players are coming from a period on inactivity.
“We are also trying to orient them to the playing philosophy that we need them to adopt.
“We have to build our own identity and make sure it works.
“I am really happy that the players are responding in a positive manner. We will try to use the remainder of the off-season to solidify areas where we feel we are still lagging behind.
“We have a group of individuals who are extremely talented. But we need to build combinations so that we can have a structure to follow.
“There is a lot of progress in this regard and it is giving me a lot of confidence going forward.”
Ndiraya is deriving a lot of confidence from the fact that there are batches of players who have joined his club from the same teams and already know each other well.
Defender Godknows Murwira and Kingsley Mureremba played together at CAPS United with latter having worked with Ndiraya himself at Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum Stars before.
The quartet of Frederick Ansah-Botchway, Sadney Urikhob and the Moyo twins Kevin and Elvis was at Dynamos while the pair of goalkeeper Nelson Chadya and Gareth Madhake won the league with Ngezi two years ago.
Chadya also worked with Ndiraya at Ngezi between 2016 and 2018.
In switching to Scottland Ndiraya moved with an array of his players from Simba Bhora who include Tymon Machope, Mthokozisi Msebe, Albert Manenji, Vasilli Kawe, Tichaona Chipunza, Musona and goalkeepers Talbert Shumba and Tymon Mvula.
“I think that’s an advantage on our part. There is familiarity written all over because these players know each other very well,” added Ndiraya.
“There are reunions here and there and that makes it very easy in terms of building unity and combinations.”
Scottland, set to use Rufaro for their home games, are scheduled to take their Premiership bow when hosting league returnees Triangle on Match-Day One.
Online Reporter