Cracks at Bulawayo City FC

Raymond Jaravaza
CRACKS have started emerging at Bulawayo City FC over the proposed re-appointment of former coach Philani aï¿½?Beefyaï¿½ï¿½ Ncube with some members of the club executive against the move while others want the gaffer brought back into the fold.

Ncube aï¿½ï¿½ credited with propelling Bulawayo City FC to the Premier Soccer League in 2016 aï¿½ï¿½ was suspended by Zifa over match fixing allegations together with his then assistant Farai Mujokoro.

His suspension was, however, subsequently lifted by Zifa but Mujokoro was slapped with a five-year ban from all football related activities.

Now word from the Bulawayo City FC camp is that part of the club executive is pushing for the reinstatement of Ncube and that would mean demoting new head coach Mandla Mpofu to assistant coach.

Those that are against the move are using a litany of accusations levelled against Ncube to block his return to the team.

aï¿½?While Philani was cleared of match fixing allegations by Zifa, some executive members that are against his re-appointment argue that the club lost $2 000 after being fined by the PSL for registering three over-aged players as developmental players.

aï¿½?Those boys played for the club in Division One in 2015 so he was well aware that they could not be registered as Under-20 players when the team was promoted into the Premiership ,aï¿½? said a reliable source privy to the behind-the-scenes tug of war among the Bulawayo City FC executive members.

Dean Sibanda ,Lewis Ncube and Bothwell Nyathi were handed 12- month bans from all football activity with three months suspended on condition they do not commit a similar offence.

The Mujokoro fiasco is also being used to keep Ncube away from the Bulawayo City Council-bankrolled team.

aï¿½?He was left out of the Border Strikers match fixing scandal but itaï¿½ï¿½s not possible that an assistant coach can fix a match without the head coachaï¿½ï¿½s knowledge. It doesnaï¿½ï¿½t make sense for Mujokoro to use his money to bribe a Border Strikers player when itaï¿½ï¿½s the head coach who gets the credit when the team wins,aï¿½? added the source.

Club vice chairman Zenzo Moyo said Ncubeaï¿½ï¿½s case had been deliberated on by the executive and referred to the board for a final decision.

aï¿½?We took the issue to the board and a decision is expected before 3 April,aï¿½? said Moyo.

But acting chief executive officer Mackenzie Moyo holds a different view.

aï¿½?Bulawayo City FC is run through a constitution which states that the executive is responsible for recruiting coaches and signing players and the board does not get involved on such matters. The executive resolved to hire Mandla Mpofu who is already registered with the PSL and I do not think they will change that decision,aï¿½? he said.

He even gave a military example on the coachaï¿½ï¿½s issue.

aï¿½?A Minister of Defence cannot send troops to war without the knowledge of the Head of State,aï¿½? added Moyo when asked if the executive was divided over re-appointing Ncube against the backdrop of match fixing allegations that assistant coach Mujokoro could not have acted without the knowledge of his superior.

But the executive members that are fighting in Ncubeaï¿½ï¿½s corner argue that he is a good coach who managed to steer the ship well in the teamaï¿½ï¿½s debut PSL season last year.

aï¿½?Itaï¿½ï¿½s only a matter of time before another team hires Ncube because he is a good coach and it only makes sense that he is re-appointed after he was cleared of any wrong doing by Zifa.

aï¿½?He also enjoys a good relationship with the players,aï¿½? said an executive member.

Chairman Jerry Sibanda was not reachable for comment.