Done with the top three from the 2021/22 season, Simba Bhora now faces a run of fixtures against less ominous names.
Clear signs of relief were written all over Tonderai Ndiraya’s face after Simba Bhora’s hard fought goalless draw with his former employer, Dynamos on April fools’ day.
After losing their first two matches to FC Platinum and Chicken Inn, Ndiraya and Simba Bhora came into the Dynamos match needing to get at least a point to get their season started.
“I am happy we have taken off This point today will really give us confidence going forward,” Ndiraya said after the Dynamos match.
Ndiraya has not hidden his displeasure at being made to play the top 3 teams from the 2021/22 season in Simba Bhora’s first 3 matches of their maiden season in the Premier Soccer League.
Be it in the preview or review of matches, the former Ngezi Platinum and Dynamos coach consistently affirmed that it was ‘unfair’ for his newly-promoted side to face FC Platinum, Chicken Inn, and Dynamos in that order.
“It was a bit harsh on us to get [to play] the top three teams from last season.
“It was really a difficult period,” Ndiraya lamented.
Going into Simba Bhora’s next 5 games which, on paper, are against names that may not be viewed by Ndiraya as ‘harsh’, it will be interesting to note how Ndiraya’s public statements will reflect the next phase.
One wonders if Ndiraya’s public statements during this run of fixtures did not weigh heavy on players to go into matches with fear of the top three from the 2021/22 season.
Ndiraya’s sentiments thus far imply that he views his club’s next run of fixtures to be not as ‘harsh’ as the first three.
“I am not saying that the teams that are coming are easy.
“Every match is a difficult match,” Ndiraya added.
Simba Bhora’s next fixture is against Yadah Stars, one of the few teams to have scored in all three matches played so far.
The game vs Yadah could be Simba Bhora’s toughest mental battle yet because of the undertones in Ndiraya’s comments during the first three games.