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Taurai Mangwiro

Oscar Rusenga in Chiredzi
TAURAI Mangwiro may not have had the best of starts in his tenure as Triangle coach but the former ZIFA technical director believes that he will do better in his second season in charge of the Lowveld side. Triangle have been inconsistent this season and 2-1 home win over his former team Harare City at Gibbo on Sunday left them within reach of a top-eight finish. But Mangwiro is not happy at failing to reach the targets he had set when he agreed to dump his post at ZIFA.

“At the end of the day the blame is always on the coach and I do accept the blame. It’s me for to get the team out of the mud and no one else except myself and the crew that I am working with. Our campaign has gone off the rails along the way but I don’t think we were doing poorly, the sad situation we found ourselves in is we are cracking in the crucial stages and we need to prepare well and prepare early for next season,” said Mangwiro.

Triangle have in the past lost their best players to rival teams due to either lack of experience in terms of getting a grip on their star players. The Sugar Sugar Boys have also been found guilty of poor planning, often leaving it until late to tie players to long term contracts. That administrative gaffe could, however, be history as Mangwiro and his technical crew are understood to have already teamed up with the management to prepare new deals for players whose contracts are running out.

Triangle have produced some good players who have gone to light up the Premiership including Malvern Gaki, Hillary Bakacheza, Jimmy Dzingai, Pasca Manhanga, Marvellous Mukumba, Tichaona Chipunza, Richard Kawondera, Walter Mukanga, Cabby Kamhapa and Charles Makoto. Mangwiro said he was still eager to play his part to identifying and nurturing talent.

“Like I said earlier on, the whole idea is to improve the team from last year’s position, at the same time as a coach I would want to be high up there with the best. We have already engaged in talks with our executive and we have provided a list of players we would want to retain and I am very positive that if we prepare well and recruit a few more players to beef up our squad we can do well next season.

“Look at the likes of Joey Antipas, (former Chicken Inn coach), Sunday Chidzambwa (ZPC Kariba coach), Rahman Gumbo (Chicken Inn), Lloyd Mutasa, they struggled in the first season at their respective clubs but they are now doing well. I hope it will be the same with us if we put together hard work and commitment,” Mangwiro said.