×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Master meets student

Sport
IT’S exactly 16 years since Sunday Chidzambwa quit Harare giants Dynamos. And as he returns to Rufaro Stadium on Sunday, he faces his former club hoping to register his first Premier Soccer League win since assuming the reigns at ZPC Kariba.

IT’S exactly 16 years since Sunday Chidzambwa quit Harare giants Dynamos. And as he returns to Rufaro Stadium on Sunday, he faces his former club hoping to register his first Premier Soccer League win since assuming the reigns at ZPC Kariba.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

Interestingly, it will be a meeting of the master and his student as the Dynamos legend clashes with Tonderai Ndiraya whom he coached during his reign as coach of the Harare giants.

The veteran coach is widely regarded as the most successful coach in Zimbabwe, having guided Dynamos to the final of the lucrative Champions League in 1998, only to lose 4-2 in a hugely controversial match to Asec Mimosas of Ivory Coast in Abidjan.

And Ndiraya was part of that squad of 1998 before Chidzambwa resigned the following year after a spate of indifferent results with the 2-0 defeat to Esperance of Tunisia at the National Sports Stadium being the final straw.

However, Chidzambwa — who is now in charge at ZPC Kariba — insists there are no emotions attached to the match.

He says he sees the clash against Dynamos as any other league match.

“I am a former Dynamos player and coach. Now I am at ZPC Kariba and I see this meeting on Sunday against my former team like any other league match. I will just treat it as such,” Chidzambwa said.

His charges go into the match with their confidence high after their weekend penalty shoot-out victory over Caps United to advance to the quarter-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup.

chidzambwa - Ndiraya

The team had endured a frustrating spell since the veteran coach took over from Saul Chaminuka, managing one draw and three defeats in four matches.

But Chidzambwa says the victory over Caps United has nothing more to it.

“That is now water under the bridge. We have forgotten about it and are looking forward to the league match against Dynamos. We have two players— Dennis Dauda and Limited Chikafa — who picked knocks, but we hope they will recover in time,” Chidzambwa said.

Dynamos will, however, be without captain Augustine Mbara who will be serving a suspension after accumulating three yellow cards in two matches, two yellows against Highlanders and the third against Hwange.

Team manager Richard Chihoro, however, maintains they have equally good replacements.

“It’s sad we will be missing him (Mbara). He is a key player, but remember we have equally good replacements and whoever will be selected will be up to the task,” Chihoro said a few days ago.

“It will be interesting to face another former Dynamos son, Sunday Chidzambwa. I predict a very entertaining match. We have no injury worries.”

Dynamos, who are on fourth position on the league table with 29 points from 17 matches and five behind leaders Chicken Inn, have won just one match in their last five encounters and drawn the other four, including back-to-back draws against Hwange.

Ndiraya — in charge after taking over from sacked David Mandigora — will be seeking to bring the champions back to winning ways as they fight to defend the title.