Shabanie Mine mentor Saul Chaminuka has become the first coach to be fired in the new Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
Shabanie have lost their two opening games against Highlanders (3-0 last week) and Chicken Inn (0-2 on Sunday) leading to the decision to fire the coach and the executive on Sunday night after the latest defeat.
‘We have relieved Chaminuka and his technical staff comprising two assistant coaches Arnold (Jani), Andrew (Chisunga) and welfare manager (Shava) Mapange of their duties. We have also ‘rested’ the entire executive and we shall be appointing a new executive tomorrow (Tuesday) and a new coach and his assistants who will do duty next weekend against Caps United,” said Raymond Munangwa, the team president.
“I would like to apologise to our fans the world over and the Zvishavane community for the poor showing from the Chinda Boys. We have their interest at heart, we value them so much and we would want to see them much happier that is why we have done away with everyone. We are starting on a new ground and I want to rest assure them that the team will not be relegated,” he added.
Shabanie have become the first team in the history of local football to fire the whole executive and technical staff all at once.
Shabanie’s woes seem to have stemmed from a decision to fire coach John Phiri at the end of last season, which proved very unpopular with the team’s fans as the team had finished eighth and qualified for the BancABC Super Eight.
The club is also understood to be using a kit that was bought three seasons ago as the executive failed to source a new kit.
”They rubbed out the old names and had to hire a signwriter to print new names. It is the only team in the Premiership that does not have a kit,” a senior player said.
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Gerald Phiri, Misheck Banda or former midfielder Max Ruza have been touted as possible replacements, although John Phiri is also likely to bounce back.
It is understood John Phiri was not in good books with goalkeepers coach Chisunga after he showed his younger brother Osbert the door.
Osbert was the third choice and at times he rotated with the second choice on the bench.
Sources added that the welfare manager was also not in good books with Phiri and this could have prompted the president to fire the whole executive as they try to bring sanity into the troubled camp.
