Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
AS REPORTED by Chronicle Sport yesterday, Rahman Gumbo was unveiled as the man to take over from Joey Antipas as the Chicken Inn coach at the end of next month.
Antipas is on his way to South African First Division side Amazulu and officially starts duty on July 1.
Gumbo, who was Antipas’ head coach at the now defunct Motor Action in 2004, becomes Chicken Inn’s fifth mentor since they were promoted into the Premier Soccer League in 2011.
Chicken Inn’s maiden Premiership coach was Philani Ncube, who was replaced by the late Adam Ndlovu at the end of 2011 season. National Under-20 assistant coach Mandla Mpofu then took over following the death of Ndlovu in December 2012, but only lasted half a season, as he was replaced by Antipas midway through the 2013 campaign.
Gumbo said he was happy to join Chicken Inn and is hopeful that he will have a successful stay at the ambitious Bulawayo club.
“It feels good to be back in Bulawayo having last worked here in 2001. Joining Chicken Inn is a bit of a challenge to me because they’re becoming a brand that wants to grow and I want to grow with them. Moreso, I want to be close to my family. I know I’m a big coach and there are lots of expectations and I’m ready for the challenge,” he said.
Gumbo, who won two league titles with Highlanders in 1999 and 2000, as well as another in the Malawian league with MTN Wanderers and in Botswana with Township Rollers, said he wants to surpass his past successes.
“I want to achieve more than I’ve done. I’ve been in the African Champions League; they’re coming from the African safari and I want to get even higher by making Chicken Inn play attractive football,” Gumbo said.
The former national team gaffer also revealed that troubled Harare giants Dynamos had also shown an interest in his services as did South African First Division side Black Leopards.
“Soccer is business and coaching is also a business to me. I had several offers, which I was considering, including Dynamos, but Chicken Inn came up with a better offer,” he said.
Gumbo’s early arrival at Chicken Inn is meant to facilitate a smooth transition and he believes he won’t face any difficulties, as they share a similar philosophy with Antipas.
Antipas had a hand in Gumbo’s appointment as his successor.
“We knew that Antipas was going to Amazulu sometime back and we had to look for his replacement and it was due to his (Antipas) recommendation that we settled for Gumbo,” said Chicken Inn secretary-general Tavengwa Hara.
“We wanted someone that would come and easily adapt. We didn’t want a coach, who would come and say he wants to acclimatise instead of going for the goal that we want, which is defending the championship,” Hara said.
He said Gumbo had been offered a long-term contract that would be reviewed at the end of the season.
Gumbo, who watched the champions’ shock 0-1 loss to debutants Bulawayo City last Saturday, is expected to be part of the technical set up when they host Triangle United at Luveve Stadium on Friday.
Gumbo will be introduced to the players at their training ground today.