CHICKEN Inn have signed Bantu Rovers midfielder Tafadzwa Kutinyu and will be registering him for the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) season.
FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER A reliable source yesterday confirmed that Kutinyu has penned a contract with Chicken Inn with club chairman Lifa Ncube saying they were still finalising the deal.
“We are still discussing and we are finalising. What I can tell you is that he (Kutinyu) will be playing for us this season,” Ncube said yesterday.
The lanky midfielder went for trials with Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge in November last year and Bantu Rovers general manager Wilbert Sibanda, then, said Tshintsha Guluva were yet to receive a technical report from the Belgian team.
Kutinyu played a pivotal role for Bantu Rovers in midfield last year with Nqobizitha Masuku, who has since moved to Highlanders.
He was reported to be targeted by Chicken Inn last week together with former Bantu Rovers defender Teenage Hadebe, who moved to Highlanders on loan.
Chicken Inn spokesperson Tavengwa Hara is on record saying they would not be developing players for other clubs, citing loss of benefit in former Bantu Rovers attacking midfielder Kudakwashe Mahachi, who made his name at the GameCocks and was loaned to Bosso by his current club Mamelodi Sundowns, before moving to South Africa.
The GameCocks did not benefit from Mahachi’s move to the Brazilians after he played for Chicken Inn on loan for two years.
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Meanwhile, former Highlanders player Tapiwa Dephistara has reportedly failed to make the cut at Chicken Inn.
The former Chiredzi FC and Gunners utility player Dephistara, signed by Highlanders mid last season, was grounded from playing for the Bulawayo giants after controversy surrounding his clearance from Lowveld as Chiredzi FC were mired in boardroom squabbles.
He was eventually cleared, but did not make a mark at Bosso, who released him and he packed his bags to city neighbours Chicken Inn where the fast foods outlet side said they had signed him together with another Chiredzi player David Temwanjira.
“He (Dephistara) just came to Chicken Inn on trials and we parted ways after he failed to impress,” Hara said.
Chicken Inn retained most of their senior players from last year and brought on board three strikers in former FC Platinum Mitchelle Katsvairo, former Tsholotsho FC’s Edmore Chirambadare and Chiredzi’s Temwanjira.
They released Ramson Zhuwao, Charles Mutero, Tonderai Charles, Last Chibwiro and goalkeeper Bhekimpilo Ncube and promoted juniors Thulani Nxusani, Musa Phiri, Tambudzai Ngulube, Brighton Manhire and goalkeeper Wandile Ndlovu.
In the 2015 Castle Lager PSL campaign, Chicken retained retained Danny “Deco” Phiri, Clemence Matawu, Mkhokheli Dube, Ishmael Lawe, Canaan Nkomo, Brian Mbiriri, Bhekimpilo “Barca” Ncube, Thabani Goredema, Moses Jackson, Brian Juru, Thomas Chimenya, Passmore Bernard, Ben Nyahunzvi, Toto Banda, Lawrence Mhlanga and George Majika.
Defender Devine Lunga, who impressed coach Joey Antipas last season and was promoted from the juniors, stays put at the GameCocks.
Nkomo briefly trained with Highlanders at the start of the Bulawayo giants’ pre-season preparation, but the Chicken Inn leadership said the midfielder was keeping fit.
After losing goalkeeper Liberty Chirava to Highlanders, Chicken Inn elevated junior Ndlovu to make an addition to the two trusted goalkeepers Elvis Chipezeze and Pride Zendera.
