Tawachera takes over at Arenel

COACH Farai Tawachera has assumed the role of head coach at Arenel Movers who are set for their maiden dance in the topflight league this season.

The Premiership newsboys were forced to look for a new head coach as Kudzayi Mhandire who won the team promotion does not possess the required papers for the role.

Mhandire has since been re-assigned and will be the team manager while Nkosilathi Nkomo will be assistant coach to Tawachera.

Wonder Pepere is the goalkeepers’ coach with Boga Ndebele being the fitness coach. Tawachera has previously worked at now defunct Tsholotsho, Bulawayo Chiefs, Bulawayo City and most recently Chicken Inn.

Arenel administrator Juma Phiri confirmed the technical team shake-up.

“We have brought in Tawachera as our head coach while Mhandire is now the team manager. While in that role Mhandire will continue to work on his coaching badges. The team will resume training tomorrow,” said Phiri.

Last season, several coaches were shut out of the system when Zifa and the Premier Soccer League barred non-Caf A holders from sitting on the bench during topflight football matches, as a way of conforming to the Fifa and Caf club licensing regulations.

But following a club licensing workshop held by FIFA last season, the Zifa Normalisation Committee reversed the decision.

The waiver was necessitated by the fact that Zimbabwe has not offered Caf coaching courses for the past seven years.
Caf B licence holders can now sit on the bench.

There were fears Arenel may have no financial resources to compete in the PSL but all that has been cancelled and the team is preparing for the season.

Their engagement of veteran administrator Phiri is testimony that the team is serious about playing in the PSL.

Fears of Arenel’s participation were fuelled by the club’s failure to pay players’ salaries on time last season.

The club, however, was consistent in giving players winning bonuses throughout their campaign in the Zifa Southern Region Division One league.

Arenel was promoted into the PSL alongside Chegutu Pirates, Bikita Minerals and TelOne FC.
-@innocentskizoe