Masomere, Beefy lead ZPC Kariba coach race

VETERAN coaches Luke Masomere and Philani “Beefy” Ncube have emerged as the front runners for the ZPC Kariba FC head coach’s job.

ZPC Kariba who are on a three-game losing streak are believed to be in the hunt for a substantive head coach.

After the departure of Darlington Dodo at the beginning of May, Newsome Mutema took over as stand-in coach.

ZPC Kariba are third from the bottom of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League table with 11 points from 12 games.There is an urgent need to turn the side’s fortunes around as the league heads towards the halfway mark.

Ncube who is attached to Adachi FC in the Southern Region Division One league is believed to be one of their targets.

He has alerted his employers about the interest from the topflight side.

“As a club we will not stand in any of our coaches or players’ way if they receive a better offer elsewhere. We are aware of the interest in Ncube from ZPC Kariba. If he decides to join them we will support him all the way,” said Adachi FC chairman Thandazani Zimbwa.

Rumour has it Masomere is considering the job. The self-proclaimed football doctor is no longer attached to Mutare City FC.

He previously coached the Mutare-based side Manica Diamonds, from its formation in 2017, and helped the club gain promotion into the Premier Soccer League in 2018, with seven games to spare.

He left the club and Mutare in 2019.

Masomere has coached several local teams including AmaZulu, Hwange, How mine FC, Shabanie Mine FC, Dynamos FC and Manica Diamonds.

ZPC Kariba’s woes this season have not been made easy by the fact that they have been forced to play their home games in Harare.

Nyamhunga, their facility, has been deemed unfit to host matches this season. However, the Premier Soccer League is hopeful the facility will be fit for topflight action when the league resumes on July 1.

PSL was forced to suspend topflight action due to the stadium crisis in the country.

The National Sports Stadium is the only facility in Harare approved to host PSL matches while renovations at Rufaro Stadium have been progressing at a snail pace.

Since the start of the season, the National Sports Stadium has been hosting at least four games per week, which has taken a toll on the facility leading to the suspension of games.

— @innocentskizoe.