Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, Zimpapers Sports Hub
SIMBA Bhora are urging their supporters to remain patient following the rapid unravelling of the squad that powered last season’s third-place title challenge. The break up has unfolded publicly and at pace, coming just weeks before the new Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season gets underway.
In the space of days, the Shamva based club confirmed the departures of Junior Makunike, Donald Mudadi and Boid Mutukure to newly promoted Hardrock. They were soon followed out the door by Emmanuel Ziocha, last season’s Soccer Star of the Year second runner-up, and striker Isaskar Gurirab, both of whom sealed moves to champions Scottland. Five senior players gone, two rivals strengthened, and a club left scrambling to recalibrate under intense scrutiny.
The exits have come amid deeper instability. Coach Joel Luphahla, who guided Simba Bhora to third place last season, walked away at the end of the year before resurfacing at FC Platinum. His departure reopened a familiar chapter for a club that has lived with constant change since its rise to the top flight.
Club spokesperson Charles Nyatsine insists the situation is neither unprecedented nor terminal. He points to last season, when Simba Bhora lost six players yet still spent much of the campaign leading the title race.
“We went through this same phase last season. We lost six players and yet we almost grabbed the championship. The fans should remain optimistic and trust the process. Players come and go no matter how much you want them to stay. Contract law will always prevail.”
Nyatsine argues that the club’s recruitment history supports that confidence, citing past signings who arrived with little recognition and left as league winners or valuable transfer assets.
“There are many players out there who want to showcase their talent. Who knew Machope before he came to Simba Bhora? Believe me, we are going to replace them with equally good players.”
The club has moved swiftly to stabilise the technical bench. Mandla Mpofu, formerly of Highlanders and among the most experienced coaches on the local circuit, has been appointed to replace Luphahla.
Mpofu inherits a leaner squad, rising expectations and a fan base unsettled by the scale of departures.
“Ours is to assure the fans that we are assembling an equally good set of players and technical team. Our search is not only confined to the local market but even beyond our borders,” Nyatsine said.
Away from the pitch, Simba Bhora are using visible investment to underpin that message. Renovations are underway at Wadzanai Stadium, with work focused on improving match day facilities and safeguarding a venue that has become integral to the club’s identity since promotion.
“We have embarked on renovating our stadium so that it becomes a better facility. The assurance should not only come from our mouths, but from what is happening on the ground. Safeguarding our brand remains a priority,” Nyatsine said.
However, the uncertainty is not yet over. Soccer Star of the Year finalist Ishe Mauchi is attracting interest from South Africa, while reigning Goalkeeper of the Year William Thole is understood to be a leading target for Hardrock. Either exit would deepen the rebuild already confronting Mpofu.
This marks the second major overhaul in as many seasons for Simba Bhora. At the beginning of last year, the club lost at least 13 first team players, including Walter Musona, Tymon Machope, Vasili Kawe and Talbert Shumba, many of whom followed coach Tonderai Ndiraya out of Shamva.
There is, however, one key difference this time. Unlike last season, when several players departed as free agents, Simba Bhora have received transfer fees for all five confirmed exits. The outstanding case is Mauchi, whose contract expired on December 31, leaving the club vulnerable to losing him for nothing if an agreement is not reached swiftly.
Last season’s campaign continues to frame how the club interprets its current moment. Simba Bhora led the league for extended periods before a demanding Caf Champions League schedule eroded momentum and exposed depth issues late on. That experience fuels belief inside the club that upheaval does not automatically extinguish ambition, even as it sharpens the risks should the rebuild falter.
