Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ON Monday, ambitious side Bulawayo Chiefs relieved assistant coaches Mark Mathe and Farai Tawachera of their duties, saying the duo had not lived up to the club’s expectations.
This came after the club clocked 540 minutes without registering a win; a position which has seen them switching from being early season championship contenders to becoming just another candidate for relegation even though the league is still in its infancy.
Club secretary Dumisani Mantula-Sibanda told Chronicle Sport that the decision to part ways with Mathe and Tawachera was not made by head coach Nilton Terrosso, but by management after some assessments.
He said it was their belief that Terroso still had a lot to offer the project hence after their assessment, they felt Mathe and Tawachera lacked certain attributes that they wanted to drive the project.
Replacing the duo was prodigal son Thulani Sibanda, the club’s former head coach.
It was, however, not stated if Sibanda’s return was on recommendations of the Portuguese native or another management decision.
It’s not a new development for assistants to be fired, while the head coach keeps his or job.
But firing of assistants usually happens on the advice of the head coach, who also, under normal circumstances, brings his own assistants.
Since Bulawayo Chiefs have already fired their assistants, that is a matter for another day, but the question is were Mathe and Tawachera responsible for the team’s downward spiral?
Isn’t it the head coach that must take the flake?
Why was the duo sacrificed for someone whose brief is not that impressive?
There’s a need for African football administrators in general and Zimbabweans in particular to disabuse themselves from this obsession about European tourists with Uefa coaching certificates, which somehow fail to get them jobs at topflight clubs in their native countries only to get preferential treatment in Zimbabwe.
It was also the case at Highlanders where they were told by another foreign coach, Erol Akbay, to relieve Amini Soma-Phiri of his duties as an assistant coach “because he is sabotaging my works”.
The same thing happened at Dynamos when that stuntman Paulo Jorge Silva blamed everyone, even supporters, for his misery at the club.
Silva accused DeMbare’s goalkeeping legend Gift Muzadzi of sabotage.
They are good at blaming everyone except themselves.
Anything that these expatriates say goes; this is why we find it extremely hard, if not laughable, for Mantula-Sibanda to tell the world that Terroso had no hand in the departure of Mathe and Tawachera.
If a foreign coach suggests that he wants the boys to sit around a bonfire on the eve of a match, no questions will be asked, but let the same request be made by a local coach, club management will call that a jujuman inspired decision.
Such disrespect for our local coaches must not be allowed to continue.
All hopes are that Chiefs won’t be made to bury their heads in sand when things don’t go their way, but again, when assistants are relieved because of poor results, will positive results at the club be attributed to the head coach this time or glory will go to Thulani Sibanda?
It won’t be a surprise if fitness trainer Abraham Mubaiwa will be blamed next for defeats attributed to players’ lack of fitness.
This weekend, Amakhosi welcome wounded Ngezi Platinum Stars to Luveve Stadium.
Ngezi also overhauled their technical department, bringing in Benjani Mwaruwari, assisted by Bongani Mafu and Chiragwi.
Online Reporter