adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
UTILITY players Tafadzwa Mombeshora and Moses “Kalito” Gutu are understood to be on their way out of the Buffaloes camp amid reports that the Mutare army side is no longer interested in engaging players not employed by the army because of financial constraints.
Defence link workaholic Mombeshora is on the verge of joining Premiership outfit How Mine while talented Gutu is club hunting in Harare.
Mombeshora and Gutu together with Chicken Inn midfielder Frankson Bushiri joined Buffaloes at the start of the 2013 Castle Lager Premiership season but biting financial constraints at the Mutare army side left the players surviving from hand to mouth.
Coach Luke “Vahombe” Masomere threw in the towel and went on to join How Mine where Mombeshora is now understood to be heading.
However, the departure of Mombeshora and Gutu, if it comes to fruition, will certainly leave the Mutare soldiers weaker given the sheer lack of depth in the team.
When contacted for comment both players could neither deny or confirm rumours that they are leaving the Mutare army outfit.
“I do not think it is proper for me to talk to the Press about those issues. You can talk to the club officials,” said Moses Gutu in a telephone interview from Harare where he spent his Christmas and New Year’s holiday.
Mombeshora could not pick up our calls on several occasions.
Nonetheless, Buffaloes organising secretary Arnold Gatsi unconvincingly denied that the two players were on the move.
Gatsi said the team is ready to engage players who were not employed by the army as long as the club can meet the players’ demands.
“I am not aware of the fact that Tafadzwa Mombeshora and Moses Gutu are leaving. I am hearing it from you. As far as we are concerned we are still with them. Well players, just everyone else, have future plans but the two have not officially informed us of their intentions to move.
“I am sure everyone is aware of the fact that Buffaloes is a community project for the people of Mutare hence there is no way we can close the door for civilians.
Gatsi confirmed that the team has not yet paid the two players’ sign-on fees which were agreed upon when the club engaged the players at the start of the 2014 season.
“It is no secret that we are having serious financial challenges just like most clubs in the country. We have not been able to pay their sign-on fees and other allowances that they were entitled to because of a situation beyond our control.
“If there is need that we have to engage players who are not employed in the army then it will be the decision of the coach not us as administrators. However, it also depends on whether the club will be able to meet the players’ demands,” said Gatsi.
Buffaloes extended Moses “Bambo” Chunga’s contract by one year after the legendary gaffer helped the team survive a nail-biting relegation dogfight in the just ended season.
Chunga joined Buffaloes soon after Masomere’s exit and the former Warriors skipper accomplished the mission of keeping the Mutare soldiers in the top flight league.
Chunga took over a team in eighth place with 29 points from 21 matches and expectations were high in the eastern border city that he would secure a top four finish, but the much travelled mentor only managed to evade relegation to finish the season on tenth position.
Under Masomere, Buffaloes amassed 29 points after he won eight, drew five and lost eight matches.
Chunga came in with nine matches remaining and amassed 10 points as he managed to win three, drew once and lost five matches.
Chunga, who coached Dynamos, Caps United, Shabanie Mine and won the league title with Gunners in 2009, had been relieved of his duties at Chiredzi FC when he joined the Mutare side.
After Marange diamond concern Mbada Diamonds abruptly stopped their periodic handouts to the army side, the club struggled financially as it relied on paltry gate-takings and donations from its chairman Matangaidze.
However, it now remains to be seen whether Chunga will be comfortable with working with a mediocre pool of players that he had to make do with last season and worse still when he might not have the likes of Mombeshora and Gutu at his disposal.
Online Reporter