CHICKEN Inn strikers’ coach Fungai “Tostao” Kwashi says he shoulders the blame for his forwards’ struggles upfront as the club goes through a rough patch in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
The curtain came down on the first half of the season at the weekend to be followed by a week’s break.
The GameCocks have struggled in the first half of the season, finishing eighth.
In the top 10 teams on the log-table, the GameCocks have the lowest number of goals, having banged in 14, with the league pacesetters FC Platinum on 24 points, while bottom-of-the-table Arenel are only six goals shy of Chicken Inn.
After the 0-0 draw to visiting Herentals at Luveve on Sunday, Kwashi, who joined Chicken Inn at the beginning of the year to assist veteran Joey Antipas, said he takes responsibility for his strikers’ misfiring.
He said his team should have been out of sight by half time on Sunday.
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“We should have been three up, four up and put the game to bed in the first half. It was the same thing again last week, we missed so many chances and we ended up losing in Mutare [to Bikita Minerals],” Kwashi said.
“When you get so many chances you, need to kill off teams, kill off the game. The chances we are missing are point-blank sitters.
“At the end of the day, we need to improve our conversion rate because the defenders got a clean sheet, kudos to them, but the front line, they did not come to the party. They should score goals and give us something to carry home.”
He added: “[Michael] Charamba has five goals, [Brighton] Makopa has three, [Brian] Muza has one goal, but I feel the chances they have missed are more than the chances they have converted. I am not being ruthless or cruel to them, but we have to be honest with each other.
“To be honest with you, give all the blame on me. I will take the blame, the heat. I am a renowned strikers’ coach. I have to keep working hard with boys and do much better. Place all the blame on me.
“I have to improve these guys’ conversion rate to get them up and running. I am not going to hide. I am one person who loves the fight. I am disappointed with our finishing, we do this every day.”
Muza, who had a good goal scoring run last season, has struggled this season, with Charamba and Makopa leading the club’s scorers chart.
Chicken Inn have only won five matches going to the second half of the season, with seven draws and five defeats.