Ambitious Harare City target Chitiyo

By Godknows Matarutse

HARARE – Ambitious Castle Premiership side Harare City are on the verge of signing midfielder Ronald Chitiyo on a short-term contract.

Chitiyo spent the 2014 season on the books of defending champions Dynamos after signing a one-year contract upon his arrival from the defunct Monomotapa.

The midfielder helped the Glamour Boys win their 21st league title but decided against renewing his contract with the Harare giants after attracting the attention of South Africa National First Division side Royal Eagles.

In December, Eagles announced that they had signed the midfielder on a two-year deal upon the completion of the 2014 Castle Premiership season.

The Daily News has however, established that Chitiyo only signed a pre-contract with the Durban-based club that will only come into effect this July.

Royal Eagles team manager, Richard Makhoba, confirmed that Chitiyo is free to join any club of his choice between now and July.

“Chitiyo is not yet our player, we only signed a pre-contract with Chitiyo,” Makhoba told the Daily News yesterday.

“For now he is still in Zimbabwe and we are only expecting to have him at the beginning of July. I understand he is still at Dynamos but if he is no longer there then he is free to join any other club.

“This is only a pre-contract and there is nothing binding that stops him from joining other teams. At the moment, we are focusing on getting promotion into the Absa Premiership.”

Eagles, who used to be known as Sivutsa Stars, are currently in sixth place on the log with 26 points after 18 games.

They will need to up their game in the second half of the season to close the 10-point gap between them and first-placed Golden Arrows.

Harare City coach Taurai Mangwiro declined to comment saying he was in Nyanga where his team is conducting their pre-season preparations.

The player’s manager Edzai Kasinauyo could neither confirm nor deny the deal but asked this writer to call him later in the day.

By the time of going to print, Kasinauyo was no longer reachable.

Sources close to the midfielder, however, maintained that negotiations have been going on and Chitiyo could put pen to paper in the next few days.

“Harare City have in fact tabled their bid for the player and they are now waiting for the player’s handlers to get back to them,” said the source.

The Sunshine Boys have been busy on the transfer market bringing in some decent signings.

City have already snapped up the CAPS United quartet of goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube, midfielders Tendai Samanja and Nicholas Alifandika alongside striker Honey Chimutimunzeve.

The municipality-run club also raided champions Dynamos, where they signed rock solid defender Themba Ndlovu.

The defender had an outstanding 2014 season with the Glamour Boys after signing from Buffaloes and was voted among the 11 Soccer Stars for last season.

City have also added former Kaizer Chiefs defender Lincoln Zvasiya, who was without a club last season, and former Chiredzi FC left back Munashe Chinembeza.

Last season, City had a nightmarish start as they lost their opening six games, a run that ultimately cost Bigboy Mawiwi his job before he was replaced by Masimba Dinyero on an interim basis. The Sunshine Boys fought against relegation all season before surviving the chop on the last day when they beat Chicken Inn.

The club hierarchy quickly stepped in and appointed Mangwiro, who had quit CAPS United, as their new coach for the 2015 season.

Mangwiro arrived at the club with his own backroom staff of assistant coaches Mike Madzivanyika and Mkhuphali Masuku while Witness Mkhuli was retained as the goalkeepers’ coach. Daily News