Tadious Manyepo
NGEZI Platinum Stars have recalled defender Ariel Makopa on a permanent basis from Triangle United to fill the position left vacant by the long-term injury to Carlos Mavhurume.
Makopa had been on loan to Triangle for six months, where he scored once in 14 appearances. On his return to Ngezi, Makopa proved his worth by coming on as a substitute for Tapiwa Mandinyenya against CAPS United in a tightly contested match.
Makopa helped to neutralise the opposition’s attack and the result was a 1-0 victory for the Mhondoro-based side.
Ngezi are second on the log, with Highlanders leading by five points.
Makopa knows that he stands a very good chance of winning the league title with Ngezi.
“I am happy to be back at my parent team. Even when I was sent to Triangle on loan, I knew the technical team wanted me to get more game time and I took that opportunity to polish up some of my flaws,” said Makopa.
“My philosophy has always been the need to flourish where one is planted. I was commanding a starting place at Triangle and playing every minute.
“I even made The Herald Team of the Week thrice. So, I am happy that the technical team recalled me to the club that I dearly love.
“The journey continues and I know I have to be at my best to play some part in driving the team to the objective.
“As a player, I know hard work is everything. I need to put in the work, stick to the coach’s instructions and be as good as I can whenever I am given a chance to play. The whole purpose is to play my role in helping the team achieve its target.
“I cannot say we will win the league title because the season is just past the halfway stage. But I believe we have a very competitive team which can do well.”
Ngezi coach, Takesure Chiragwi seems to be shuffling his cards well as the team is playing with a lot of flair.
He has also been rotating his squad to good effect, but the youthful gaffer has refused to carry the pressure associated with talking about the league title.
“This is a long marathon to be honest. As a coach, I am very happy with the way my players have been carrying themselves in the field of play,” he said.
“For me, it’s all about controlling what I can. All is looking good, but I cannot be talking of the league title at a time when there are still as many as 45 points to contest for.
“The rotation that I have been doing at the team gives others time to recover and reload. That means each time a player is given a chance to play, they will be at their optimal best,” said Chiragwi.
Only goalkeeper Nelson Chadya has played every minute this season.