Darikwa has done Zim football proud BOUNDLESS JOY . . . Zimbabwe international defender and Wigan Athletic captain Tendayi Darikwa jumps into the arms of his side’s fans in the stands as they celebrate the Latics’ promotion into the English Championship football at the weekend. — Photo by Wigan Athletic

Phillip Zulu in LEEDS, England
WIGAN Athletic’s promotion into the English Championship football after clinching the League One top spot this season reads well to the multitude of Zimbabwean fans who follow Tendayi Darikwa, both as a Warriors defender and captain of the Latics.

Darikwa endured a torrid time when he had an injury that led to his loan move from Nottingham Forest to Wigan in a short-term deal meant to help him regain his fitness and confidence back.

Some people were shocked and surprised by what current Ghana head coach and former manager of Nottingham Forest, Chris Houghton, did, as they felt that he had harshly treated him considering the fact that Darikwa was a senior player who had been involved in the push for Championship top six play-offs for Forest during the two hotly-contested seasons of 2018-19 and 2019-20.

A lot of the hardcore fans of Forest voiced their concerns and in disapproval of such a move as they believed in Darikwa’s ability and competence over the past seasons when he was signed from Burnley.

Indeed, they were right, Houghton plunged the team lower than beyond middle table position where he got the club from when he was appointed to pursue an English Premiership promotion.

The demise of Houghton from Nottingham Forest has resonated well with the current position of Forest in their pursuit for a possible promotion to the English Premiership. His reject, Darikwa, on the other, led the revival of Wigan Athletic and helped them back into the English Championship.

At the time Darikwa was being loaned, I argued that he would rise above this minor setback and, instead, that this should spur his conviction and motivation to stay higher up in top leagues of football in England. In hindsight, that was a good decision for Darikwa to leave as his championship victory with Wigan Athletic at the weekend comes along with good compliments of getting back to the higher divisions above.

All the Warriors fans have been in celebration with Wigan Athletic and they eagerly wait to see how they prepare to stay up or propel their season into another fight for promotion into the English Premiership next season by adding more quality players in key positions in their squad.

Our recent disaster at African Cup of Nations finals says it all when local coaches fail to have a grip on how the modern professional system works and when these players show their pedigree in style brings positive impact on how our decadent systems of national football standards need a complete overhaul.

At times when we and some coaches and fans from certain circles question the level of competence that these foreign players have, one wonders what drives such introspection given the fact that the 7 tier professional leagues in England are intensely competitive hence the English Premier League is without doubt one of the best leagues in world football.

We have a long way in bringing about changes in our local leagues in Zimbabwe and we have to seriously undertake a deep critical analysis of how the best leagues in world football work. Witnessing Darikwa lifting the English League One championship trophy brought good memories of his journey as a young professional aged 17 on his first team debut with Chesterfield in the 2019-2010 season.

He is the torch-bearer of the re-engagement of all young Zimbabweans born abroad to align their careers with the Zimbabwe national teams.

The Government national policy of engaging all citizens abroad is highly amplified by such outstanding achievements in top-flight sport in top leagues in Europe. Well done Darikwa and Wigan Athletic, international football is patiently waiting for YOU!

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