Chiyangi’s mater class at Green Eagles, a thing of beauty

Coaches live in the arable land of uncertainty, their worthiness consistently fluctuating between results. In the environs where a string of poor results can skew perception, consistency can often offer a reprieve from the constant scrutiny. Aggrey Chiyangi, the longest-serving head coach in the super league, is a rare case; his job mirroring serenity and markedly circumscribed in certainty.

Since he traded the mundane role of technical director at Nkana three seasons ago for his more natural habitat, the dugout, Chiyangi’s transformation of Green Eagles from a midtable team to a top-four team, going toe-to-toe with the more affluent rivals, albeit the financial throes and pillaging of its top stars, has been nothing but phenomenal.

The near title win in the transition league, however excruciating, together with their meteoric rise on the continent from a nondescript team to one capable of wroughting the unexpected, are the almost tangible evidence of Green Eagles unexpected rise under the tutelage of the 56-year-old. The win in South Africa against Orlando Pirates to eliminate “the buccaneers” from the champions league is one that will always remain flagrant in the club’s annals.

Chiyangi and Eagles have for criticism their lack of imagination and panache to their game. Their style often dubbed blandly and lacking the piquancy to arouse a throng is a particular critique that has almost hardened into truth and refuses to dissipate. But operating on a shoestring budget, Eagles and Chiyangi have earned the right to tailor a playing system that maximizes the personnel at his disposal.

Eagles are yet to crown their brilliant rise with a trophy, but in a terrain where the depth of your coffers can prove invaluable in the marathon race to jostle for positions and trophies, the Choma based side have shown that there is more than one way of skinning a cat.