A HIGHLY-CHARGED, emotional reunion takes centre stage at Barbourfields Stadium this Saturday as Chicken Inn head coach Tonderai Ndiraya plots the downfall of his former side, Scottland FC, for the first time since his unceremonious departure at the end of last season.
Now in charge of Chicken Inn FC, Ndiraya will come face-to-face with the club he guided to a historic Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title — a triumph that placed Scottland among the few teams to win Zimbabwe’s top-flight championship in their debut season.
The Harare-based club became only the second side in the post-Independence era to achieve the feat, matching the legendary 1984 campaign of Black Rhinos FC.
Yet, despite orchestrating this modern-day football miracle, Ndiraya was not spared the axe by the ambitious Scottland leadership.
Fired at the end of that historic campaign, the tactician quickly found a new home in Bulawayo with the GameCocks at the start of the current season.
At Chicken Inn, Ndiraya is chasing a unique milestone — becoming the first coach to win three consecutive league titles with three different clubs.
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However, his life in the City of Kings has gotten off to a rocky start. After 13 matches, Chicken Inn languish in 11th place with 18 points — courtesy of five wins, three draws, and five defeats — leaving them nine points adrift of log leaders Caps United.
In contrast, Scottland are in fourth place with 22 points, looking to defend their crown under Ndiraya’s successor, Norman Mapeza.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Ndiraya admitted the match carries emotional significance but insisted his focus is firmly on his new club.
“It’s my former team. It’s a team that gave me my second title as a coach. Not just me, but some of the backroom staff who are here with me. So it’s a very, very important game,” Ndiraya said.
“It’s going to be an emotional one because of the history that is between that team and us. It’s a team that I respect.
“It’s a team that is owned by Honourable [Pedzai] Sakupwanya, who I feel has really done a lot, has really invested a lot in football. Meeting them at this time of the season is something that I will always cherish. But I’ve since moved on.”
Now firmly focused on the project in Bulawayo, Ndiraya views Saturday’s home encounter as the perfect platform to ignite Chicken Inn’s stuttering campaign and lay down a massive statement of intent.
“I’m now with Chicken Inn. We want to compete in a very big way and make sure that we take advantage of our home ground and get something out of this game,” he said.
“It’s a very difficult game. We are all aware that Scottland has a lot of quality in every department in their team. That’s what is making the whole match quite interesting.
“As a coach, playing against a quality side is a challenge. But it's a challenge that we are willing to take. It’s a challenge that we are really looking forward to, and really gauge the strength of our team and really gauge how competitive we are as a team going forward. It’s an important match for us.”
Chicken Inn’s technical department received a major boost with the timely return of experienced midfielder George Majika, whose creativity will be vital in unlocking the champions’ defence.
However, Ndiraya will be without key players Francis Moustapha, who is nursing a hamstring injury, while influential midfielder Joseph Tulani misses the match through suspension.
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Matchday 14 fixtures
Saturday: Agama v ZPC Kariba (Wadzanayi), Hunters v TelOne (Heart), Chicken Inn v Scottland (Barbourfields), Herentals v Simba Bhora (Rufaro), Ngezi Platinum v Bulawayo Chiefs (Baobab).
Sunday: Hardrock v Dynamos (Chahwanda), Manica Diamonds v Highlanders (Sakubva), Triangle vs Mwos (Gibbo).
Monday: Caps United v FC Platinum (National Sports Stadium).