The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Orlando Pirates defender, Innocent Chikoya believes that foreigners have to work hard at any big team if they are to last longer at that club.
In light of the departure of two Zimbabweans, Marshal Munetsi and Kudakwashe Mahachi from the South Africa’s Buccaneers, Chikoya, who was with Soweto giants from 1999 to 2003 feels that it is not about Zimbabwean players but foreigners always find it tough at any big team.
Munetsi and Mahachi are not the first Zimbabweans to leave Pirates after short stays as this also happened to strikers, Takesure Chinyama as well as Tendai Ndoro who were jettisoned despite scoring some memorable goals for AmaBhakhaniya.
“To be honest with you it’s not about Zimbabwean players not lasting at Pirates, if you are a foreigner and playing for a big team you need to perform to maintain your position week in week out, it’s about performing at the highest level. If you don’t, a foreign player will replace you, big teams are always on the lookout for good players so you need to make it difficult for them to offload you,’’ Chikoya said.
While Munetsi commanded a first team place at Pirates, Mahachi, one of Zimbabwe’s best players of the current generation struggled to make it into the starting line-up in his first season after moving from Golden Arrows. South African Vincent Pule was preferred by Pirates coach, Serbian Milutin Sredojevi. Before moving to Golden Arrows he was at Mamelodi Sundowns where he struggled for game time.
“Competition is very high and if you are a winger at Pirates you need to deliver every game or chance that you get not to say he wasn’t doing well. Maybe the coaches preferred Pule than Mahachi in that position,’’ he said.
Thomas Sweswe, who played for fellow Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs, said it is hard to understand why Zimbabwean players no longer stay that long at Pirates, seeing that Chikoya and Edelbert Dinha enjoyed lengthy stays at the club. Dinha even captained the Sea Robbers.
“I don’t know what makes our players not to last at Pirates these days but before players used to stay longer at Pirates, for example Chikoya and Dinha they were there for a long time,’’ Sweswe said.
He is happy to see Munetsi move to France and feels that Mahachi will get more game time at SuperSport United than he did at Pirates.
“I’m happy for Munetsi that he is going overseas and still has age on his side also. I just want to wish him all the best. As for Kuda I guess he didn’t have much game time because of injuries and stuff but was doing well all the time he gets the chance but there are many factors that make players move also sometimes its style and systems at that particular club. I know at SuperSport he will do well since it’s a club over the years that have always used wingers for crosses. I wish him all the best there also,’’ he said.
Munetsi is joining French Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims on a permanent deal while Mahachi is switching from Johannesburg to Pretoria after being sold to Matsatsantsa.
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