The Sunday News
Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter
FOR the second time in his playing career, former Warriors midfielder Tafadzwa Kutinyu recently retraced his footsteps to Castle Lager Premiership side Chicken Inn, a club he doesn’t hesitate to call home.
Kutinyu (27) rejoined his former paymasters just before the closure of the country’s mid-season transfer window and prior to yesterday’s match against Ngezi Platinum Stars, he had made four appearances that were coupled with a man of the match performance when the Gamecocks beat Harare City 2-0 in a Chibuku Super Cup first round match played at Luveve Stadium a fortnight ago.
“I could have chosen to join any other club but Chicken Inn is more than a home to me. The club’s professional approach to the game is so pleasing, hence my coming back to the club for the second time in my career. However, football being football one day I might wake up at another club. Even before I moved to foreign lands, Chicken Inn had been so dear to me,” said Kutinyu.
“At the moment my focus is to do the job at Chicken Inn with the great assistance from my coaches and teammates. We have to work hard and seek to get something positive for the club,” added the soft spoken midfield workhorse, who can arguably fit in any local club’s playing system like the teeth of a zip.
Tafadzwa Kutinyu
Mid last year, when he was on the verge of starting doing duty for Gamecocks after his playing stint in Guinea, Kutinyu, a former Warriors and Bantu Rovers midfielder, got a deal from Tanzania’s DTB Football Club.
At that time the lanky and creative midfielder was patiently waiting for his International Transfer Clearance (ITC) following termination of his contract by Horoya AC on 20 March, 2021. His joining of DTB Football Club meant he left Chicken Inn without kicking the ball.
In Kutinyu, Gamecocks head coach Joey Antipas sees a player who can bring back their flying wings at a time when the PSL title race has reached a fever pitch let alone the fact that the country’s biggest knockout tournament, Chibuku Super Cup, is now in the last eight stage.
“With his vast experience that saw him play for Horoya in Guinea and Azam in Tanzania, we expect and we are very sure that he will give us something in our midfield,” said Antipas.
Kutinyu was part of the 2015 championship-winning Chicken Inn, coached by Antipas before the gaffer joined AmaZulu in South Africa and later moved to Chicken Inn in 2018. He also played for Singinda United in Tanzania in 2017-2018 and Azam FC (2018-2019) before moving to Horoya AC in 2019.
He will be expected to form solid partnership with combative Richard Hachiro, hard tackling Shepherd Mhlanga, pacey and skillful quartet of Bret Amidu, Clive “Gringo”, George Majika and Malvin Gaki in the middle of the park in the last remaining matches to help the Gamecocks salvage at least a piece of silverware.
@FungaiMuderere
