Bikita Chida’s steel and spirit: How Chris Mwanza has steadied the ship in one month

A month ago, Bikita Chida Athletic Club looked like a club in freefall.

Seven games into the Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League season, results had turned sour, coach Oscar Muvhimi was dismissed, and the side was left scrambling for direction.

What happened next could have derailed them completely.

Bikita had lined up nomadic gaffer Saul Chaminuka, only for Premier Soccer League side TelOne FC to swoop in hours later.

With Chaminuka yet to sign his contract, sources close to the club say TelOne sent a vehicle straight to the Chida training ground and took him.

The coup left Chida exposed, but it opened the door for Chris Mwanza.

One month on, and the ship looks steadier.

Mwanza’s first game in charge was a statement: a 3-0 demolition of Tongogara United in the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup First Round.

He followed it with back-to-back 0-0 draws against Masvingo United in Week 8 and Green Fuel FC in Week 9 at the Green Fuel Arena. Three games, no goals conceded.

For a side newly promoted and still finding its feet, that’s progress.

“It was a little difficult for us, playing a team that is in the top 4, but we managed to hold our nerve and collected a point,” Mwanza told Fanzone after the Green Fuel stalemate. “Collecting points against teams like Masvingo United and Green Fuel is a positive for us.”

The secret, he says, is simple: teamwork and discipline. Bikita have become tough to break down, particularly against the league’s bigger names. “Team work has been our greatest strength, the guys are eager to learn and gelling, which is a positive for us,” Mwanza explained. “Team spirit has been another factor. The young boys are disciplined. We have got some school boys there, about four players who are still going to school, which we think is going to be a positive on our side as the season progresses.”

That blend of youth and experience is clear in the squad he inherited.

Goalkeeper Tonderai Simango brings composure at the back, while defender Panashe Mafondokoto, fresh from winning the championship with FC Hunters last season, adds know-how.

Hard man Phineas Dhliwayo and Jefter Mabugu form the experienced core around which the younger players are gelling.

The numbers still show the climb ahead. Chida sit 17th with 7 points from 9 games — 1 win, 4 draws, 4 losses. But the trajectory has changed.

From conceding freely early on, they’ve now gone three games without letting one in.

For Mwanza, the target is clear and grounded. “We are going to take it game by game. We want to remain in the Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League, we are not going to be relegated. We are going to fight for maybe a top 8 finish. We hope if all goes well we will get there.”

From a coaching carousel that saw Chaminuka poached before he even signed, to a coach who has quickly instilled structure and belief, Bikita Chida’s story is shifting. The results might still be tight, but the spirit is unmistakable.