Chicken Inn release Samakweri
CHICKEN INN have completed the signing of former Yadah goalkeeper Samuel Mafukidze, following the departure of Elvis Chipezeze to South Africa’s Absa Premier Soccer League side Baroka FC and completed their mid-season transfer window business by de-registering three senior players.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
The former champions released Chris Samakweri, Brian Juru and Thabani Goredema with the latter having chosen to join Caps United.
Club secretary Tavengwa Hara yesterday said Chicken Inn are done with business for this transfer window which closes on Tuesday, having also signed former Bulawayo Chiefs’ defender Last Sithole and attacking midfielder Bravie Sibanda, formerly with Nichrut.
“Mafukidze is now our player and he signed for two years as a free agent. He is a replacement for Chipezeze who left South Africa. Last Sithole replaced Divine Lunga who also left for South Africa (Golden Arrows) while we also brought in Bravie Sibanda. All these players were free agents and we re-called Joe Nyabinde to replace Brian Juru and promoted Nicholas Muchadeyi from our juniors to replace Samakweri,” Hara said.
Pride Zendera, who was reserve to Chipezeze, is now Chicken Inn’s first choice goalkeeper and is joined in that department by Mafukidze and the young Wandile Ndlovu.
On Goredema, Hara said the defensive linkman approached the club and said he was heading to Caps United.
“Thabani (Goredema) told us he was moving to Caps United where we understand he was the whole of last week. We said we cannot close the door on him and asked him to tell Caps United to call us. We have de-registered him,” Hara said.
He had six months remaining to his Chicken Inn contract.
The former champions have improved their form and have gradually risen on the log-table to position three with 37 points, closing the gap on pacesetters FC Platinum by nine points and second-placed Ngezi Platinum Stars by seven points with 14 matches to go.
They have not lost a match in their last six outings, with five wins and a draw to Dynamos which kicked off their second half of the season.
After a win against Mutare City Rovers away at the weekend, they make another trip to Maglas Stadium for struggling Shabanie Mine for their next assignment before they return home to host Ngezi Platinum Stars and another big one away to Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium.
