Rahman Gumbo fired

 

“We fired Gumbo yesterday and Chikuni (Tendai) will be in charge tomorrow against Hardbody. We have actually protected him because the fans have been baying for his blood,” said a source at FC Platinum.

Chikuni will be assisted by Patrick Mandizha.

Efforts to get a comment from the team’s executive proved fruitless yesterday but a visit to Mandava Stadium by the news crew found Chikuni in charge of the team while Gumbo was driving off home in his white Isuzu in the mining town clad in a red tracksuit jacket.

He also could not be reached on his mobile for confirmation but the rumour of his dismissal started spreading like veld fire in the mining town yesterday.

Gumbo arrived in Zvishavane last season from Botswana’s Mochudi Centre Chiefs and his first match was against Highlanders which he lost.

He took over the hot seat at FC Platinum with the team having a healthy 15-point lead over Dynamos in last year’s Premiership championship race.

He, however, had a game against Dynamos, a team which FC Platinum had never lost to and he lost the match following an own goal by defender Daniel Vheremu towards the end of the season. In that match he only needed a win or a draw to seal the championship but it was not to be.

Gumbo and his charges ended up finishing second behind the popular Harare giants and he defended himself, saying he had not assembled the team.

Gumbo then went on a buying spree at the beginning of this season ignoring  talent from Mimosa Under-19 players and offloaded Norman Maroto, Nelson Mazivise, Francis Kanda, Benjamin Marere, Norman Togara, Bhekimpilo Nyoni, William Manondo and Brighton Dube leaving only Donald Ngoma from the team that won promotion for FC Platinum into the Premiership.

Togara was later recalled.

The team then played in this year’s African Champions League and did well in the first round but found the going tough when they were held by El Merreikh of Sudan at Rufaro before suffering an away defeat in the reverse fixture. It was also a match he played Togara after realising that his defence was leaking like a sieve.

Gumbo had started this year’s campaign on a rather promising note after beating lowly Black Mambas 3-1 away at home but has seen the miners failing to maintain consistency as they drew their last three assignments.

They drew 1-1 against Hwange at the Colliery, were held to a 2-2 deadlock by Shabanie Mine in the Zvishavane derby after the Luke Masomere team came from behind to level the score besides being one man short.

The team then settled for another 1-1 draw against Chicken Inn although Gumbo was not in charge as he was attending a Caf B Licence course in Harare, but the result did little to shake off speculation about his future.

According to sources his contract indicated that he had to collect 15 points in his first five games of the season.

The writing was on the wall when he lost to a fired up Highlanders at Mandava Stadium.

Soon after the match fans were baying for his blood but the management chose to give him another chance.

Attendance dwindled at Mandava as some fans could not continue supporting the team with Gumbo in charge.

After the disappointing defeat at the hands of Monomotapa, patience was wearing thin within the management and on Monday a meeting was held in which it was decided to part ways with the gaffer who won the championship with MTL Wanderers in Malawi before clinching the title in Botswana where coaches like Barry Daka and Madinda Ndlovu have also made names winning titles.

When he joined FC Platinum he signed what has been described as one of the worst players to don the green and white jersey, Itayi Ngwandu, while Togara the most liked player in Zvishavane had to beg the management to keep him when Gumbo wanted to offload him.

He also did not see eye-to-eye with Marere, a development which made some Dynamos faithfuls hate FC Platinum which they accused of ill-treating their former sons.

Chikuni who will be in charge of FC Platinum this afternoon was the first coach to guide the team to its first silverware, the Bob88 Super Cup in February when he dismissed Hwange in the final.

He has never lost a match in all the games he has taken charge of since last season.

He was in charge when FC Platinum played Shabanie Mine in a league match at Mandava last season and he also won against Quelaton and drew against Chicken Inn away from home.