Thulani Sibanda
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THULANI Sibanda has rejoined ambitious Southern Region Division One League club Bulawayo Chiefs barely four months after leaving them for Castle Lager Premiership champions Chicken Inn as assistant to Rahman Gumbo.
Sibanda, who won two Southern Region Division One League titles with Quelaton in 2011 and Bulawayo Chiefs in 2014, begins his second spell with an away match against Hwange Under-20 at the Colliery on Saturday.
A holder of a Scottish C coaching licence, Sibanda quit Chicken Inn last week, saying failure to attain the club’s target had forced him to throw in the towel.
He had the same targets as Gumbo, that is to collect 20 points from 10 games, but they amassed 15 points.
Chiefs’ director Lovemore Sibanda believes Thulani will bring stability to the team and assemble a squad that will challenge for honours next season.
“Thulani Sibanda is back at Bulawayo Chiefs.
“This is his home and he understands the vision of this project.
“It is my hope that he will use the experience he got at Chicken Inn to improve our club.
“I want to be realistic, statistically we’re out of the championship race and it will be folly to demand the title when we’re six points behind the leaders Bantu Rovers.
What I want is to see us building a strong foundation for next season and try to get these players back to their early season form,” said Sibanda.
When Thulani left Chiefs in May, they were second on the table with 13 points from five games, two behind then leaders Amagagasi of Victoria Falls.
Thulani takes over from his former assistant Anzilom Ndlovu, who was fired alongside goalkeepers’ coach Nkosiyazi Ncube and Joseph Museve on the eve of their Week 15 away trip to ZRP Hwange.
Chiefs beat ZRP Hwange 3-0 under the supervision of welfare manager Farai Sibanda.
Thulani, who is away with the ZRP Bulawayo soccer team competing at the Commissioner General’s Gala in Harare, said he was ready for the Chiefs challenge.
He tipped Rovers and Amagagasi as favourites for the title.
“A six-point gap may look small, but in football that’s big and when the Chiefs director told me that they want me back and said we’re not looking at the championship, I didn’t think twice.
I think Rovers and Amagagasi are better placed for the championship race as their players understand their coaches’ philosophies.
I’m excited to be back and looking forward to the second half of the season,” said Thulani.
Fixtures
Saturday: Bosso 90 v Technosphere (White City), Victoria Falls Tigers v Ntabazinduna (Victoria Falls), ZRP Hwange v ZRP Bulawayo (Hwange), Bantu Rovers v Casmyn (Luveve), Makomo v ZPC Hwange (Hwange), Indlovu Iyanyathela v Talen Vision (Brad Barracks), Hwange Under-20 v Bulawayo Chiefs (Hwange)
Sunday: Amagagasi v Black Boots (Victoria Falls)