The ManicaPost
Ray Bande Senior Sports Reporter
NEWLY promoted Mutare City Rovers could be the domestic top flight league’s charity case after Norman Mapeza’s FC Platinum gave them four little known players on free loan as the municipality-owned outfit struggles to assemble a competitive outfit.
Even before a ball has been kicked in the Premiership, the acquisition of four FC Platinum rejects as well as the signing of a four-member technical department this week headed by under-achiever Joseph Takaringofa puts into context the financial incapacity of the team to compete favourably at this level of the game.
Mutare City Rovers’ bankruptcy seems to go beyond financial matters as the club also appears to be deficient in good ideas given their failure to consult widely and timely on a suitable candidate for the post of head coach. Takaringofa had the tenacity to tell local radio station Diamond FM on Tuesday that his technical department consists of himself as head assisted by Kenny “Bokande” Kachara, Itai “Madhinda” Makuni and Ndega Matsika when it is a public secret that Makuni is a Level 2 coaching certificate holder – a qualification far too low than what is now required at this stage of the game.
Without underestimating Takaringofa, a well-known football personality who turned to coaching after an illustrious career at trailblazing Tanganda FC back in the mid-90s before he moved to the capital to make a lasting impression in CAPS United colours, the Sakubva-born yesteryear star still has to cut his milk teeth in his coaching career and would be of more value to the team as an assistant to an old hand.
Several names of coaches that have known track records and a unique understanding of football in Mutare such as Rodwell Dhlakama have been put forward as suitable candidates for the Mutare City Rovers job but somehow the club has other ideas.
Asked whether he would be comfortable to join Mutare City Rovers, Dhlakama said: “I can never turn my back on my home area but I have never been consulted at any given time by anyone so I cannot comment on that.”
While most clubs abandon players they had in Division One when they get promoted, it was a different story for Mutare City Rovers when most of their key players in the just ended 2017 season deserted them opting to join Manica Diamonds FC recently in search of greener pastures. A highly placed source within Mutare City Rovers confirmed that they are being joined by four players from FC Platinum who are coming on free loan.
“Yes, we have players from FC Platinum who are coming on free loan. I still have to confirm their names after consulting with the coach,” said Kanyemba. Mutare City Rovers financial woes are well documented after the club plunged into quagmire as council tabled $220 000 to be shared among various sporting disciplines for 2018. The team endured a difficult year in the Eastern Region Division One last season but managed to win the sole ticket in the Premier League.
Late last year, disgruntled players besieged Town Clerk Joshua Maligwa’s office demanding their dues. The players were demanding their October 2017 salaries and winning bonuses, which the local authority later managed to settle.
Maligwa is on record as having told the team to look elsewhere for sponsorship to augment the provisional sponsorship package from the equally financially troubled local authority. The $220 000 purse is set to cater for netball, inter-city games, tug-of-war and women soccer, among other sporting activities.
The inter-city games alone could gobble about $50 000, while netball and women soccer also need $50 000. Sources said that the football team had submitted a budget of $560 000 meaning that what they will get will fall far short of the top-flight requirements, as they have to travel as far as Bulawayo, Kariba and Harare during the 2018 Premiership season.
