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Tadious Manyepo

Sports Reporter

FIVE years ago, CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe unleashed an 18-year-old winger who he had met at a social football game in Chitungwiza.

The boy, Tino Chiunye, was just too good for his age and he gave the Makepekepe fans reason to hope for a brighter future.

Chitembwe, who was amongst the spectators of that social football tie in Chitungwiza, had been impressed and followed up on the boy whom he deemed good enough to play for the Green Machine.

And how right was the veteran gaffer.

Chiunye, who Chitembwe would later learn was nurtured at the famous Aces Youth Soccer Academy, would for the months that followed mesmerise in Makepekepe’s colours.

He was the talk of the nation as he was seen as the next biggest thing to happen in Zimbabwe football.

Then he paled, thanks partly to limited game-time and then the Covid-19 scourge which disrupted his growth in the game given he was just starting to master the key demands at the highest level.

A brief stint at his current team ZPC Kariba was followed by a frustrating one at Dynamos in 2021 in which former coach Tonderai Ndiraya rarely played him.

And the 23-year-old retraced his footsteps back to ZPC Kariba last year. The decision seems to have been the right one with Chiunye now back to his best under coach Darlington Dodo.

The midfielder almost single-handedly saved the Kariba team from relegation last season as he chipped in with crucial goals and assists.

He has started the current season brightly and he was central to ZPC Kariba’s 1-0 victory over Bulawayo Chiefs on Monday at the National Sports Stadium.

Besides engineering the solitary goal that was scored by another former Dynamos player Forster Dhemere, Chiunye also won a penalty that striker Moses Demere failed to convert.

Dodo said Chiunye has probably been one of the most consistent players across the league since last year.

“Tino (Chiunye) is coming back with a bang. He has been performing wonders since last season. He was one of the main pillars of the team at a time when we were fighting relegation.

“He has also started the season very well and this is what we expect. Actually you will see the best of him as the season progresses,” said Dodo.

“He is still very young and we expect to see young players like him driving teams. I have no doubt that Chiunye will scale dizzy heights in the league this season.

“At only 23, he is already one of the major drivers of the team and it is very refreshing. Should he continue with this trajectory, I tell you, he will become a top, top player in the near future.”Chiunye said the Covid-19 enforced freeze to football took a lot out of him.

“I think I lost myself during that long break during the Covid-19 era. I was training alone, adhering to the instructions from the authorities. But I lost a bit of myself and I had to restart after joining Dynamos,” said Chiunye. “I rarely got to play while I was at Dynamos and I decided to re-join ZPC Kariba. I would like to thank my agency BG Sniper, led by David P Choto, for making me believe in myself again, especially during the Covid-19 era.

“I wanted to throw in the towel, but they said you still have it in you so just put in the work. I am happy at ZPC Kariba and I believe I can become better and better with time.