Zimbabwe Dynamos goalkeeper off to China
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Zimbabwe's Dynamos goalkeeper Tichaona Diya made a surprise visit to Beijing on Saturday after striking an opportunity of a lifetime to train with a major Chinese soccer team, The Sunday Mail said. The Mbare-born net minder will be attached to top Chinese side Jiangsu Sainty based in the textile city of Nanjing, four hours flight from the Chinese capital. "It will be a training program that should help me improve on several areas of goalkeeping," said Diya shortly before his departure. Diya is currently the reserve goalkeeper at DeMbare, who have two others in Zondai Nyaungwa and Willard Manyatela. "Besides competing for the starting jersey at Dynamos, I will now also be assigned a new role as the goalkeepers' coach. So in essence, the attachment in China will bring me new ideas of improving goalkeeping (at Dynamos)." Diya ruled out the possibility of him staying at Jiangsu Sainty, one of China's biggest clubs, should they be impressed with his skills and propose offering him a contract. "I am 31 now and it is time I focus on the future. The future I want is to help my team (Dynamos) which I love very much. Right now I am happy with the level of competition that prevails between myself, Willard and Zondai, who are both my youngsters. "One day I hope to reclaim the starting jersey. But even before that happens, I must be involved in imparting the skills and experience I have garnered to others so that Dynamos remains accomplished in the field of goalkeeping," said Diya. Diya made his debut for the Harare giants in 1992 and featured in the same team with Francis Shonhayi, Angirai Chapo, Vitalis and Claudius Zviripayi, Peter Fanwell and Memory Mucherahohwa. Later he went on loan to Air Zimbabwe Jets, where he played alongside Benjani Mwaruwari, Patrick Chapoterera and Richard Choruma |
