After a journey that has taken him to no less than eight clubs, including KF Trepca 89 in the backwaters of Kosovo, Ranga Chivaviro's sting in front of goal is starting to shine through. Better late than never. The big marksman has been crucial in bulldozing opposition defenders in Marumo Gallants' CAF Confederation Cup campaign, where they currently sit second at the halfway mark, before Wednesday's crucial home tie against USM Alger. However, where his goals are more needed, without a shadow of doubt, is in the league, with the side staring relegation in the eye. To his credit, he already has four league strikes registered next to his name. While at the airport, in-between travelling the length and breadth of Africa and coming back to take care of domestic duties, the 30-year-old found time to speak to Soccer Laduma's Masebe Qina. The conversation centres around the team's inconsistent season, why the Limpopo-based outfit had a horrible run under returnee Dan Malesela and life under the new man in charge, albeit very familiar with the set-up, in Raymond Mdaka.
Masebe Qina: What's the mood like in the Marumo Gallants camp?
Ranga Chivaviro: The mood is very vibrant and everyone is raising their hands for a chance to play. It is smiles all round and it's hard work all round – no one is frowning and we are in a good space. Going on a four-game winning streak (before the 2-0 loss to USM Alger of Algeria), it does that to the team.
MQ: Tell us, what's been the motivation behind the fairly good results in the CAF Confederation Cup, bar the USM Alger loss?
RC: It's a platform to do well for the country at club level, basically, and that's the first one. The second one is that the experience is the first of its kind for many of us to be playing in this stage. I mean, we always watch the so-called big teams playing in that stage and for a team like Marumo to be involved in such a competition is motivating. Getting to play in CAF while you're playing for Marumo Gallants… it's not every team that gets to play in such a competition. So, we're all just trying to live the moment and keep pushing to see how far we can get with making history.
MQ: What's been the secret though?
RC: We have not been having it easy, so I wouldn't use the word 'easy' to describe it. I would say it's the mentality that we have to score as many goals as we can to win the matches. We just believe that the more goals we score, the bigger the chances of us to win the match. We try to score as many goals as we can and as quickly as we can and that eases things as the game goes.
MQ: You guys also progressed to the Last 16 of the Nedbank Cup, where you lost to Mamelodi Sundowns, having put three past Magesi FC in the previous round. Has coach Raymond Mdaka changed the way the team is playing in an effort to turn your fortunes around?
RC: There's this saying in life in general that when someone new comes in, he brings new ideas and a new life, so I think new ideas and tactics have helped. I think we were at a point where we were unlucky before, and I think luck has been on our side lately and we have been able to convert almost every chance that we create. It's a matter of luck being on our side right now as we have been converting the chances that usually wouldn't go in and that has helped us to wrap up the games. In saying this, we have created our own luck in a way because we have been working so hard for the longest of times to score goals. Now that they have been coming, we want to keep this momentum going in each and every game that we play.
MQ: Why the struggle under coach Dan Malesela then?
RC: Like I'm saying, I think it was just a matter of luck as the balls wouldn't go in and I don't know how many times we hit the post or the ball went out wide narrowly. For me, we were playing well and just couldn't convert, and that's something we can't blame any coach for, when players cannot convert chances. With the new coach having come in, I wouldn't say he has brought luck because we have been so consistent in trying to convert the chances that we created. It's just that from all of our trying, it is only now that it is paying off and unfortunately, in this line of work everything is results-driven and not everyone is going to be patient. At the end of the day, everyone wants results and we were unlucky, though that luck has since turned around for us. We are happy to be fortunate that these chances we are creating now, we are converting them.
MQ: As players, do you feel you let your previous coach down?
RC: We let ourselves down as a whole team. It isn't all about the coach, but all of us as the team – we let ourselves down. We let everyone down because we are not in a position where we believe we should be. It's something we tried to fix each and every day in training and it's something we try to fix in each game we play.
MQ: Subsequently, Malesela was placed on 'special leave' by club management…
RC: It's never a good feeling when one of your colleagues gets suspended because everyone here is here to work for their families. No one can ever be happy about that because everyone is here to represent their families and most of us are breadwinners. It is never a nice feeling when one of us goes down, but we also understand that due to the nature of the business there will be times when we just have to move on. Generally, it's not something that is nice, but we move regardless of how we feel.
MQ: How have you found working with Mdaka?
RC: It's good and he's brought in new ideas and he's brought new life into the team. He's trying to involve everyone and the guys that didn't play before are getting their chance. I've worked with him before, so I know what he is all about. In a nutshell, I believe that with the way things are going in training, we will do well and everyone is expected to get a chance to showcase what they are capable of.
MQ: And the club's 'consultant' Dylan Kerr, what can you say about him?
RC: I've worked with him before, and for me, it's not something new. I know what he is all about and the results are coming now, so you would say that he has brought that new belief in the team and we can actually build from here and get out of the position that we are in (on the DStv Premiership log). We've got the belief that we can start winning games (in the league), but we do know that we were supposed to win games long time ago. So, they (Kerr and Mdaka) just brought that new breath of fresh air and it is proving to be working for the team.
MQ: You have scored eight goals in all competitions. Would you say this is your best ever topflight season?
RC: When you count the numbers, yes, it is, but I feel like I have been underachieving, because had I converted the chances I have had, I should be on double figures already. But it happens, and I just need to carry on trying to score and trying to score to win matches. Not just scoring but scoring for the team to win will be important. But yeah, I feel this is my best season in the topflight in terms of the numbers.
MQ: Critics may point out that you have failed to live up to expectations with the potential you have always showed. What has brought about the improvement in your performances?
RC: I'm a religious man and I believe that everything has got its own time and I believe that now is my time. As much as you say that I have always showed potential, the numbers were not indicative of that. Like I say, I believe that now is my time and I'm just trying to live for the moment and just trying to strive for more and more. Life is about one's moments; you live your moment and enjoy that moment and right now I'm enjoying my football and I'm enjoying the space that I'm in now. I do not want to be stopped and I want to carry on for as long as I can.
MQ: And the club will need you to keep scoring those goals, together with your teammates, in order to stave off relegation. Keep well, Chivas.
RC: Thank you.
RANGA CHIVAVIRO FACT FILE
Full name: Ranga Piniel Chivaviro
Date of birth: 21 November 1992
Place of birth: Ga-Kgapane, Limpopo
Nickname: Chivas
Position: Striker
Jersey number: 8
Club: Marumo Gallants
Previous clubs: Witbank Spurs, Cape Town All
Stars, FC Cape Town, Ubuntu Cape Town, Baroka
FC, TS Sporting, KF Trepca 89 (Kosovo), Venda
Football Academy
Honours: None
