adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
BARELY a month after being relieved of his duties as the national women’s team goalkeepers coach, former Buffaloes shotstopper Ndega Matsika was demoted to goalkeepers’ coach at Eastern Region Division One outfit, Tenax FC.
Matsika was part of the Mighty Warriors’ technical department headed by Rosemary Mugadza but they were recently fired by Zifa and their technical department was replaced by the one led by Shadreck Mlauzi.
Almost a month down the line, Matsika was once again left in the cold as correctional services outfit Tenax FC reshuffled their technical department leaving Matsika, who was the head coach since the start of the season, in a less influential position of goalkeepers’ coach.
Interestingly, Madombi was teh Tenax FC head coach last season and was sidelined at the start of the 2015 season to pave way for Matsika.
Tenax FC vice chairperson Henry Marapira confirmed the development.
Marapira also confirmed that the team has since brought back Blessing Madombi as head coach.
“We decided to bring back (Blessing) Madombi as head coach after we felt that we were lacking on the technical aspect of the game.
It is a decision that was arrived at after a thorough analysis of recent matches played.
“For example, the executive noted that of late we have not been able to score from open play and the gaols that we have been scoring recently are only from set pieces.
To us this was a clear indication that we were somehow lacking to make amends to our failure from finding the target from open play,” he said.
When asked why they decided to hire Matsika ahead of Madombi at ten start of the 2015 season if they believed that he is a good coach, Marapira said: “We have always known Madombi as a good coach but we only wanted to try something different after we failed to get what we wanted from Matsika.
“In fact, we had interviews at the start of the season and both – Matsika and Madombi – were present. We only decided to hire Matsika because we thought we needed someone different since Madombi had not achieved what we wanted him to. Therefore, we feel there is nothing wrong in giving him (Madombi) a second chance.”
Although Tenax FC is still within striking distance of the Premiership promotional race, the Mutare correctional services outfit lost crucial points when they were beaten by basement outfit Mutare Polytechnic 1-0 a fortnight ago.
The humiliating result against Poly must have ignited the decision to relieve Matsika of his duties and to their credit things seem to have started working well again in teh Tenax camp after they outplayed troublesome Gaza Gunners 1-0 away at Gaza Stadium in Chipinge during the weekend’s round of league matches.
Online Reporter