adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
MAVERICK gaffer Moses “Bambo” Chunga has opened up for the first time since his abrupt departure from financially troubled Mutare Premiership side Buffaloes, saying he would not want to be remembered as the one who took the army outfit back to Eastern Region Division One.
The former Zimbabwe national team captain quit the Mutare Castle Lager Premier Soccer League side just 10 days before the start of the new season and it was reported that the outspoken coach could have parted ways with Buffaloes after the Mutare army side failed to meet his $7 a meal demand.
However, Chunga refuted claims that he left the club simply because the leadership could not meet his $7 a meal demand.
In an unsolicited telephone interview from Harare this week, the former Dynamos player said the decision to part ways with the army side was a result of, among other things, the club’s failure to allow him to sign new players.
“I do not believe in gossip and I would not want to dignify nonsense by responding, but I just want to set the record straight that I left the club owing to its failure to give me the material I needed to make my job easier.
“If you are appointed Editor of The Manica Post and you feel there is need to recruit more reporters, but the company management tells you that you cannot, it simply means you are not needed there. It means they do not believe in your observations and or capabilities.
“It is not a secret that there is no money at Buffaloes and the chairman has said it clearly.
“Even when I came down there they told me that they have a problem in funding, but the challenge is that I also have a reputation to protect. It would not be good for me when the Charles Mabikas of this world will soon tell the nation that Moses Chunga took Buffaloes back to Division One,” he said.
Apparently, it seems Chunga foresees nothing but doom for Buffaloes this season. “I can’t be seen to be fighting relegation from Day One. No. It is not for me to say whether the team will survive or not, but I can only wish them well in their endeavours,” said Chunga. Signs of Chunga quitting the club became very visible after the Harare City pre-season friendly match at Sakubva recently when he told journalists that he was only tasked to register three civilian players as the club cited financial challenges.
Chunga, who had more than 10 civilian players at his disposal, was not happy with the decision as most of the players were part of the 2015 season and age is fast catching up with some of them.
Chunga also lampooned a member of the Buffaloes executive whom he accused of not being honest in his approach to business.
“I would want to maintain a good relationship with everyone I have worked with and I would like a situation whereby we will always greet each other even after parting ways.
“I even told one of the officials there (name supplied) that he should change his behaviour. He says one thing to the other person and then says something different to another person.
“It is an issue of double standards and that is not nice,” he added.
The well-travelled mentor joined the army side last season, replacing Luke Masomere, who also left the club in a huff to join How Mine. It seems financial constraints at Buffaloes had a huge bearing on Chunga’s decision to quit the club with the club’s chairman, Hlanganiso Matangaidze, left to pay Chunga’s salary from his personal coffers.
Queried on whether he is planning to join Northern Region Division One side, Yadah Gunners, Chunga said: “There is no way you can talk about me joining Gunners. I have always been here and remember I am a founding member of Gunners.
“I have always been here and when the likes of Jostein Mathuthu and others come, we actually welcome them to Gunners.
“Those are the ones that can be said to be joining Gunners not me,” he said.
Online Reporter