NGEZI Platinum’s championship bid has come under threat, with reports suggesting two more key players, James Ngulube and Michael Charamba, might leave for South African giants, Bidvest Wits.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
The two, like Terrence Dzukamanja, are a subject of interest of Wits University,
Dzukamanja, the leading top goal scorer for the Mhondoro-based side, with eight goals thus far, impressed Wits while on international duty with the Warriors during the Cosafa Cup tournament.
Bidvest Wits, who have been closely monitoring the trio, invited the players for a one-week trial stint on June 29. The players returned from the trials on Friday. Ngezi Platinum chairperson Jeremiah Gasiteni confirmed.
“We had three players, Terrence Dzukamanja, Michael Charamba and James Ngulube who have been on trials with Bidvest Wits. They were there for one week and returned home last week. We are still waiting to hear the outcome,” he said.
The trio have been a huge influence in Ngezi Platinum’s title challenge and in the event that they eventually sign for the South African side, it will be a huge blow to their aspirations.
Ngezi Platinum coach Tonderai Ndiraya has particularly mourned the likely departure of his most lethal forward Dzukamanja.
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“It’s something that is really going to affect us. There is nothing we can do if he is going to move. We can’t stand in his way. He scored eight goals for us this season and most of them have helped the team. We have to run around and find someone who can get us goals,” he said.
“He has been a key member of our team and losing him shows we have potentially lost 15 or 20 goals. Naturally, if you have someone who can score such goals, it means you can fight for the championship and it’s something that is troubling us.”
Ngezi began the second half of the season with a shock 1-0 defeat to Premiership newboys Herentals — their fourth loss on the trot.
However, with the transfer window having opened on July 1, the club can draw from their bottomless pockets to bring on board quality replacements, as they seek to keep their title dream alive.
Ndiraya’s men, who had an explosive start to the campaign in the first half in which they went for 14 games without tasting defeat, however, appear to have run out of steam.
They have lost four successive games and hopes of an improved performance in the second half were dashed when they lost to Herentals at the weekend, in one of the biggest upsets in domestic football.
