daniel chigunwe
Don Makanyanga
REIGNING Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Coach of the Year, Takesure Chiragwi may have come under pressure for Ngezi Platinum Stars’ slow start to the season, but the youthful mentor’s job appears safe for now.
The champions have stuttered in their bid to retain a maiden league title they bravely won last year.
And naturally the spotlight has fallen on Chiragwi, especially in view of the fact that Ngezi management added ex-Herentals coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziwa as his assistant at the start of the year.
Despite Ngezi being in 12th place and five points behind early leaders Highlanders, after five games, the club chiefs yesterday reiterated that they were behind their coach, noting that bad patches are part of the football environment.
“It is only a bad patch that we are going through and the coach has the full support the club as we believe that we will find our rhythm very soon,” said Ngezi vice-president (technical) Lysias Chiwozva.
Chiwozva dismissed speculation that Mutiwekuziva has been brought in to replace Chiragwi.
“There are some stories where they say, no, Chiragwi is gone, and they are like, what is wrong?
“People don’t understand the club’s strategic trust, Chiragwi is part of the team.
“In fact, when we engaged Mutiwekuziva, I took him and had a meeting with him, and I said, show me a foolish vice-president of a club who, after winning the league, then fires the coach?
“Show me that board. I don’t think there is any such board.”
Chiwozva added that plans were underway for the club to attach Chiragwi together with his assistant to an international club as part of the Ngezi long-term plans.
“The plan which we had, which unfortunately we are going to do in retrospect is to take our head coach to international destinations which we have already listed.
“We have already approached and been approached by some regional and international clubs who are willing to partner our structures.
“The plan was to have Chiragwi and his assistant and his assistant to go out to two destinations in Europe and destinations in South Africa and understand what happens behind FC Porto.
“What happens at Manchester United? What happens at Arsenal? What happens behind the scenes at Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and the likes?” he asked
The champions are back to league duties tomorrow when they face high-flying Bosso at Baobab where they will be out to become the first team to end Kelvin Kaindu’s unbeaten return to the Bulawayo giants.
Online Reporter