SUNDAY Chidzambwa arrived at Castle Lager Premier Soccer League side ZPC Kariba with high expectations, following a trophy-laden coaching career that span over 30 years.
BY HENRY MHARA
But barely two months after taking over at the club, everything for the man regarded as the country’s most successful coach, has gone wrong.
Chidzambwa was mandated to stir the club away from the murky waters that they found themselves in early in the season, but in the four matches that he has presided over, he has lost three and drawn one.
He lost twice against Triangle including the latest 2-1 defeat at home on Saturday, and also against Tsholotsho, and played to a goalless draw against the same side.
The club, who came agonisingly close to winning the league title in their debut season in 2014, is winless in the last seven matches, drawing two and losing five.
They are currently on 11th position with 16 points and staring relegation.
They have the same number of points as Buffaloes who sit at the relegation cut-off point.
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Critics argue that ZPC Kariba made a huge blander in plucking Mhofu out of the wilderness following his ban for his alleged involvement in the Asiagate match-fixing scandal.
They argue that he has lost touch with local football in the time he was in the boondocks.
He recently told the media that people shouldn’t judge him now, but at the end of the season.
But the team fans’ frustrations are growing especially after the uninspiring home defeat at the weekend when Hillary Bakacheza and Hardlife Mavundi scored for Triangle before Tsepo Rantokoane’s face saver.
The win saw Triangle moving to the top of the log, in a title race that is still tight with very little separating the front runners.
So congested is the teams at the top that the Lowveld side on 32 points, are just four points better than fifth-placed FC Platinum, who were the weekend’s biggest winners with a 3-0 demolition of Buffaloes.
Chicken Inn dropped to second position after their 1-1 draw away at Dongo Sawmill on Sunday.
They are on 31 points and awaiting a determination of their abandoned match against Dongo Sawmill in the reverse fixture. How Mine failed to capitalise on Chicken Inn’s draw when they were beaten 2-0 by Hwange to remain third with 29 points.
The Harare derby between Caps United and Harare City on Sunday produced one goal scored by the later’s Osbourne Mukuradare, to extinguish the excitement that gripped the Green Machine’s camp for the better part of the week following their capture of seven new players including returnees Method Mwanjali, Oscar Machapa and Dominic Chungwa.
Of the seven, only Machapa and Zambian Michael Mwenga started the match while Chungwa came in as a substitute.
At the other end of the bottom, the promoted teams continue to sing the blues.
Dongo, basement, is on 12 points while WhaWha and Flame Lilly are tied on 14 points. Buffaloes complete the list of the teams who are facing doom.
Tsholotsho and ZPC Kariba are a rung above on 16 points.
