adminChinawa, the former manager of Mutare’s now defunct Highway had replaced Eddie Chivero in the Young Warriors’ technical setup.
Sources privy to the goings on told this publication that Chinawa was fired after allegedly failing to execute his duties during Zimbabwe’s Africa Youth Championships qualifier against Botswana.
“It’s not a surprise that Chinawa has been fired. This was bound to happen especially after the boob that happened before the first leg of the first round qualifier for the African Championships at Barbourfields Stadium against Botswana.
“He delayed going to a pre-match meeting by over an hour and the referees, the match commissioner and the Botswana manager and captain had to endure the long wait. I think the match commissioner noted that in his report and I understand the Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze was infuriated,” said the source.
The source said Zifa were partly to blame as Chinawa did not receive any induction after taking over from Chivero who had grown to know his duties well.
Last week Mashingaidze indicated that there would be changes in the Young Warriors technical setup.
He could not be drawn into giving reasons for Chinawa’s expulsion.
In a telephone interview from her Harare base yesterday, the Zifa communications manager Nicky Moyo-Dhlamini confirmed the development but declined to shed more light on why Chinawa was sacked.
“What I can confirm to you is that it is true that there have been changes in the national Under-20 men’s team with the manager Lloyd Chinawa making way for Patrick Muteswa. As for more details on what necessitated the move, you may call the chief executive officer Mashingaidze,” Moyo-Dhlamini said.
According to another source in Harare, firing Chinawa could be a warning shot to senior national team manager Nyika Chifamba who is said to have embarrassed Zifa after key Warriors’ players had their passports held by Pandhari Lodge on the morning of take-off for the World Cup qualifier against Mozambique earlier this month.
The hotel was demanding accommodation fees of $125 000 for the Warriors and the passports were only released after the Zifa president Cuthbert Dube had mortgaged his other Glen Lorne house.
“The question that is being asked is how did the passports end up in the hands of Pandhari Lodge management when actually once all the players report for camp the manager takes custody of all the passports?
“From my understanding, the Zifa leadership was not amused at all with that and they want heads to roll,” said the source.
Repeated efforts to get comment from Mashingaidze and Chinawa were fruitless as their mobile phones were not available.
Online Reporter