TAFIC, Chinyemba: A match made in heaven
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Wednesday December 18, 2024 09:17
And every time that couple reunites, the bond looks inseparable. In August this year, Matjimenyenga appointed the Zimbabwean-born gaffer as the new head coach. His return this year was his third stint with the club. He had previously twice promoted the club to the Premier League but immediately left on both occasions because he did not have the right credentials to occupy the position of coach in the elite league. However this year, like many other local coaches, he managed to acquire his CAF A coaching license, allowing him to be able to assume the head coaching role for any Premier League club. He had a short stint with Matebele last season before taking over his current job.
He is currently the most talked-about gaffer in the Premier League, not only for leading TAFIC to the summit of the league table but also for his ‘magical’ checked shirt, which has become a trademark on TAFIC’s bench this season. On its social media platform this week, the club jokingly shared: “We have agreed that his trademark shirt should be produced in mass so that our people can also wear it when they are happy and delivering results.” Chinyemba’s assignment when assuming his role at the beginning of the season was simple; to lead the team in retaining the top-eight finish. Currently, they lead the pack with 22 points from 10 games. When they set the pace in the first few games, many had predicted that by now they would have surrendered their position to the ‘big guns’ but after 10 rounds of matches played thus far, Matjimenyenga have shown no signs of slowing down. They are currently one of the best attacking sides in the league, having scored the highest number of goals (17), tied with Gaborone United (GU) and Mochudi Centre Chiefs. They have also conceded the least number of goals (six). Out of 10 matches, they have won seven, drew one and lost two. Their never-die attitude was recently witnessed when they managed to come back from a 2-0 deficit in the second half against Township Rollers to earn a point.
On Tuesday, they also came back from a goal down to beat BDF XI 2-1 with Jean Lwamba and Kemoneetswe Mmangwedi on the score sheet. With Lwamba, TAFIC have found a gem and solidified their status as one of the few local sides with a sharp eye for good foreign players. The 22-year-old Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) goal poacher is proving to be amongst the best acquisitions this season. As it stands, both Chinyemba and TAFIC look set to stay among the title contenders this season despite the top-eight finish as their priority. However, they have maintained that they will take one game at a time.