adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
FORMER Chegutu Pirates coach, Tavaka Gumbo, has bounced back at the club as the head coach, replacing Gipter Raiva, who took over when he left in the first round of the World Navi Northern Region Division One soccer league. Gumbo, who was fired for poor results three months into the season, has always been trying to find his way back to the club and he appears to have succeeded.
And yesterday Chegutu Pirates team manager, Emmanuel Gutu, confirmed the development.
“Tavaka Gumbo is now the head coach. He is being assisted by Edward Kazawa. He was appointed coach three weeks ago, it was a council resolution.
“They said he has no case to answer so they said he should come back. Even when he was suspended he was being paid. Raiva excused himself and has not been coming to training for the past three weeks, we don’t know what’s happening. He just left so we don’t know where he is,” said Gutu. Raiva early this month expressed disappointment with the in-house fights that keep haunting the club.
This was after reports emerged that the club’s executive, led by Lillian Mandeya, who had fired Gumbo for poor results and engaged the services of Raiva, had been dissolved and a supporters’ committee, led by Jorum Chihwehwete, had taken over the running of the club.
However, Chegutu Pirates vice chairman, Musiiwa Dube, dismissed the reports as unfounded.
But yesterday sources close to the club said the supporters committee was now in charge of the team’s welfare as the council, who were sponsoring the team, could no longer afford to do so.
Speaking to The Herald yesterday, Gumbo said he was back at the club and preparing for the match against ZRP Morris tomorrow at Morris Depot.
Online Reporter