Zim charms Portuguese gaffer
HE would have taken charge of his third Castle Lager Premier Soccer League today had Covid-19 not wreaked havoc to the domestic game once again.
Portuguese gaffer Nilton Terroso’s Bulawayo Chiefs were set to host champions FC Platinum at Luveve this afternoon, but the match was cancelled after some players returned positive Covid-19 results.
Terroso’s arrival in the country was greeted with much enthusiasm as he became the latest expatriate coach to take charge of a local club, following in the footsteps of the likes of Pieter De Jongh and Mark Harrison who have taken charge of PSL clubs in recent years.
He has been in the country for two months and it has been long enough for the former Cardiff City assistant coach to run the rule over the local Premiership.
Terroso has been charmed by the work ethic exhibited by local players and believes Zimbabwe has the potential to export more talent to Europe and other professional football markets.
“I’ve said a few times since I arrived that I believe there are talented players in Zimbabwe with potential to reach higher levels,” Terroso told The Sunday Mail Sport.
“If you can add the physical and technical aspect to that mentality and daily work ethic that players have here then I believe we can produce very good players in this country.
“Players that will increase the quality of our domestic league and the Zimbabwe national team. And most importantly, we need to give these players a chance to change their lives by going to play at higher levels in different countries.”
In the short period that he has been in charge, Terroso has garnered four points in two outings for Bulawayo Chiefs, who beat Triangle 1-0 in the opening week, before playing out a goalless draw against Cranborne Bullets in their Match Day Two assignment.
“Definitely, the team is improving both individually and collectively and we are progressing towards what we are aiming for.
“We are still far away from where we want to be but I believe we are still capable of much more. However, this all takes time and we cannot rush things or skip steps.
“We need time to reach our full potential and we cannot lose our focus or become solely concerned about one game or results,” said Terroso.
Bulawayo Chiefs have dominated social media platforms but are yet to fully transfer that to their core business - on the field of play.
“The Ninjas” escaped relegation by a whisker in 2019, finishing just a point above the red zone.
However, there is fresh impetus at Chiefs, who are believed to be one of the most financially stable teams in the top-flight at the moment.
They have a mixture of experience, youth and some unheralded yet talented players, some of whom are primed to shine this season.
Forward, Billy Veremu (25), who won the club’s Player of the Month award for November, is one of the players expected to blossom this season.
Arthur “Diego” Musiyiwa, Farau Matare who was part of the Warriors’ CHAN squad early this year, Malvin Mkolo, Hugh Chikosa and Lucky Ndlela are also part of a bubbly Bulawayo Chiefs squad.
“I’m proud of Billy (Veremu), he deserves the award,” said Terroso.
“Billy is an excellent example of work ethic and mental strength. Since day one he has always done everything asked of him, always worked to the limit and always shown interest in learning on and off the pitch.
“He wants to be the best player he can be and achieve his goals. I’m here to help him do that and that is why for me it is such a pleasure to coach him on a daily basis.
“It’s important to say that Billy knows he needs his teammates playing alongside him to be able to stand out and attain this individual recognition.
“He is a team player and that is why he fits so well into this new club culture that we are building at Bulawayo Chiefs,” said Terroso.
Chiefs have also sparked an interesting rivalry with fellow city clubs, Highlanders, Chicken Inn and Bulawayo City.