Nine new faces in Ngezi dressing room
AMBITIOUS Ngezi Platinum have underlined their strong intentions to win the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title by boosting their squad with nine new players who were unveiled at a ceremony in Mhondoro yesterday.
Ngezi Platinum finished third behind FC Platinum and Dynamos last season.
The platinum miners, a model of professionalism in the domestic game, have set their sights on bettering their third place of last year.
The miners have brought in nine new players, including a Ghanaian Steven Owusu, ahead of the start of their campaign.
They paraded eight of the players at a function in Mhondoro, with Owusu the only missing link as the West African, lured from Ghana’s First Capital Premier League outfit Berekum Chelsea, having gone back home for his mother’s funeral.
Coach Tonderai Ndiraya revealed he had observed their major weakness had mainly been in their defensive third, including goalkeeper Nelson Chadya, and this had influenced the way he went about securing additions to his squad.
“It’s only reasonable for us to fight for the championship after finishing third last season. We want to win the title,’’ he said.
“In signing the players we were inspired by how we conceded last season. Our goalkeeping department conceded goals which could have been avoided and that motivated us to sign Donovan Bernard and Tatenda Munditi.
“We lost Partson Jaure to a Zambian Team and that weakened our central defence and that motivated us to bring on board Frank Makarati from How Mine.
“We have a foreign flavour in Steven Owusu from Ghana and hopefully he will add more value to our attack.’’
Owusu, who could become the fourth West African forward to line up in the domestic Premiership in the coming season is expected to be back in time for Ngezi Platinum’s season opener against newboys Herentals at Baobab on March 17.
Ngezi Platinum team performance analyst Culvin Mavunga said Owusu had gone back to perform the cultural rites of the burial, “which is done a month after someone would have died’’.
The other West African forwards in the Premiership include Dynamos’ Christian Joel Epoupa of Cameroon, Nigerian Abasirim Chidiebere who has been on the CAPS United books, albeit with limited appearances, and FC Platinum’s Albert Euonde who also hails from Cameroon.
Combative midfielder Tichaona Chipunza, who arrived from Dynamos where he was crowned Players Player of the Year and the Most Consistent Player for 2017, was also unveiled yesterday.
Ndiraya has also looked to the future by roping in the quartet of centre-back Kelvin Sande who has been promoted from their Under-19 squad, the 17-yearold duo of Marlon Mushonga and Master Chaodza, who arrived from relegated Tsholotsho and the Prince Edward School academy, and Martin Nhubu who joined from Waverly High School in Kadoma.
“Marlon Mushonga from Tsholotsho and Tichaona Chipunza from Dynamos will add more aggression to our midfield. We lacked a natural defensive midfielder last season and the coming on board of the two gritty midfielders will add more value to the team in general,’’ said Ndiraya.