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FORMER Warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari is set to be unveiled as a Wits University player in Johannesburg, South Africa this week.
According to sources close to the player, Mwaruwari signed a one-year deal with an option for another 12 months if he impresses. It is believed if he shows leadership in grooming young players he could be made assistant coach at the club.
The burly striker was in the books of relegated Chippa United from February to end of May. He briefly played for the team in May in the play-offs which could have entailed him being paid salaries up to June by the club. This could have been a headache for the club which no longer enjoyed the South African Premiership’s hefty monthly stipends.
In an interview last week, the former Manchester City striker, confirmed that a deal was almost done.
“We are still talking, the deal is almost 99 percent done, for now I cannot say much about Wits,” said Mwaruwari last week.
Mwaruwari is in the UK to see his family and is attending an Uefa ‘B’ Licence course as he slowly prepares for life after playing days.
Contacted for comment from his UK home yesterday Mwaruwari chose to speak about his coaching badges.
“I do not want to speak about Benjani, the player I am here to see my family and I should be completing my licence studies this week on Thursday. “The rest shall take care of itself, I am under no pressure at all,” said Mwaruwari.
But a close confidante of Mwaruwari insisted that a deal was already done and that he would probably be unveiled next week on Monday.
Wits will be under Gavin Hunt who came close to signing Mwaruwari while at Supersport last season.
At Wits, Mwaruwari will team up with his former national team compatriots Thomas Sweswe, Tinashe Nengomasha, Denver Mukamba who had a disastrous start to his stay there by failing to command a first team jersey and recalled Energy Murambadoro who will be the club’s goalkeepers’ trainer.
Hunt has shown an interest in working with Zimbabweans and he had former Dynamos defence pillar Kaitano Tembo as his assistant at Supersport. He is said to be in the hunt for an assistant coach and Ashley Makhanya and Charles Yohane’s names have been murmured in Wits’ corridors of power.
Mwaruwari seems to have taken a good aim at the future by furnishing himself with a powerful coaching qualification.
Meanwhile, Peter Ndlovu could join the Mamelodi Sundowns coaching department.
Ndlovu, who with two other former Highlanders stars Mwaruwari and Bruce Grobbelaar boast of being the only Zimbabweans to play in the competitive English Premiership, has been Warriors assistant coach. Ndlovu is said to have flown to Gauteng last week with his lawyer.
The former Warriors star denied that there was such a deal in the offing when contacted last night.
Online Reporter