adminRay Bande in MUTARE
BUFFALOES’ new coach Luke Masomere, who has trimmed the number of players to 40 after the team’s trials, says he needs another week to make up his mind on whether he can sign former Warriors defender James Matola.The Mutare side, who survived relegation last season on the last day, are set to finalise their 2014 squad by the end of this week.
Their off-season preparations appear to be going on well despite the departure of key players Themba Ndlovu, Steven Sibanda and Wonder Sithole.
Matola, a former Dynamos, Free State Stars and Supersport United defender, who is turning 37 in June this year, is in Mutare where he has been training with the Premiership outfit.
Matola is trying his luck to make it into the club’s final squad for the 2014 season and Masomere said he needs one more week to assess the player.
“He is still a good player and there are areas I want to look at further before making a decision on whether to sign him or not,” said Masomere. “I think it will take me only one week. I am not worried about his age, at all, as long as he delivers what is expected of him on the field of play. He is a good player.
“After all, we have players above the age of 40, even in our domestic Premiership, his age is not an issue.”
Matola, a member of the team that represented Zimbabwe at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations finals, had been playing for Namibia’s Division One side Monotronics FC, as a player coach until last year.
Online Reporter