The Sunday Mail
Don Makanyanga
DESPITE losing the core of their players during the off-season and a not so bright start to the 2019 season, Ngezi Platinum Stars remain optimistic of their chances of winning their first Premiership title, four years after gaining promotion.
Unlike last season, the 2019 season has not been a perfect start for the Mhondoro based side who have a 50 per cent winning record as compared to last year’s 100 percent winning record with the same number of matches played.
But Ngezi chief executive officer, Nyasha Kadenge, says the club is not moved about talk of their pre-season dealings.
“People believe what they want to believe,” said Kadenge.
“It is not every player that suits the club’s culture and philosophy. It is inherent in the sport that players come and go.
“We have maintained the core of our team and augmented it by buying players that fit the philosophy of the club.
“To speak of rebuilding might be a bit mischievous, I look at it as building on the cornerstone that is the core we maintained.
“Our target remains the same and we believe that the squad we have is good enough to achieve our target that we have set as a team,” said Kadenge.
Ngezi Platinum Stars lost Clive Augusto, Tichaona Chipunza and Donavan Benard to Chicken Inn while Godknows Murwira joined FC Platinum and Walter Mukanga joining Harare City.
They have since brought in Barnabus Mushunje from Mutare City, Bruno Mtigo and Blessing Sahondo from ZPC Munyati, Tafadzwa Temera from Shabanie Mine, Wayne Makuva from Buffalo FC and Osi Minuru from Talen Vision.
Kadenge revealed that of all the players that left the club during the off-season only Murwira was still in the club’s plans. “We retained those we wanted except for Godknows Murwira and those we didn’t retain we had irreconcilable differences,” she said.
However, tempers were about flare in Mhondoro ahead of the Chicken Inn match on Friday had the Dutch man lost his third match of the season.
Instead. Madamburo came to the party and edged the Gamecocks 1-0 in a tightly contested league match at the Baobab Stadium.
Boasting of the bulk of players that the Mhondoro based side lost during the off-season, odds favoured the Gamecocks but the script was not to be.
New signing Bruno Mtigo powered Ngezi to their second win of the season.
And It came as relief for Akbay and the executive who had come under pressure from the supporters to deliver and dig the team from had been initially perceived has poor pre-season preparation for a team that has its eyes on the title.
However, Akbay remains optimistic of Madamburo’s chances of winning the league title.
“We won against a good team.
“Chicken Inn came expecting us to play a high-pressure game but we surprised them and that is why they did not manage a single clear cut chance at goal.
“I urge the fans to remain patient, we are going to give them what they want,” said the Dutchman.
The Gamecocks gaffer,Joey Antipas, admitted that they lost to a better prepared side.
“We tried our best, we did not step up and credit to Ngezi Platinum.
“They played a low pressure game and hit us on the break.
“It is part of the game, you get those part of games and we seem to have a tough time picking up points here (Baobab).
“Still, we remain focused on our target,” said Antipas.
