An unexpected turn that shaped Machine’s destiny

Nthaga was installed as Zebras caretaker coach last month, in a hurried move following the abrupt departure of South African Morena Ramoreboli, who took up a post as Bafana Bafana assistant.

Now, the weight of a nation's expectations suddenly shifts to Nthaga. He has begun his reign in promising fashion, with the Zebras going close to upsetting Libya away before settling for a 2-2 stalemate. The national team also stole a point in their clash against Tunisia last month, to ensure the Zebras picked two valuable points on the road as they began their quest to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals. Nthaga is still getting to grips with the local top flight after spending most of his coaching career with First Division sides. But he is already proving his mettle as his side, Tonota FC, lead the FNB Premiership title race five games into the season. However, this week the club announced that Nthaga had resigned although the coach disputed the version, challenging authorities to tell the nation the truth.