Zifa Central Region Division One Football League outfit Chapungu on Tuesday sacked coach Innocent Chogugudza after a string of poor results.
Chogugudza who had been at the helm since 2009 was in his second stint as the airmen’s dugout front man.
He has since been replaced by Joseph Michaels who began his job with the first team soon after his predecessor’s dismissal on Tuesday morning.
Michaels has previously worked in a coaching capacity at the club after serving as Collins Mahara’s understudy a few years ago.
He finds the club on position four on the log with 25 points after 13 games, and six points behind leaders Hardbody.
Tasked with regaining promotion at all cost after a three-year absence from the Premiership, Chogugudza who is a former goalkeeper at the club, managed seven points out of a possible 15 in his last five games in charge.
He had four draws.
He joined the list of coaches in the region who had failed to last the first half of the season after Luke Petros-Jukulile and Gatsi Munkombwe were shown the exit door at Tripple B and Silo United respectively.
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The national Under-20 assistant coach’s ejection from the Thornhill Airbase hot seat was always imminent as the airmen were continually replicating the careless approach to the game which saw them failing to catch up with eventual champions FC Platinum last season.
Club secretary Mkhululi Dube said they rehired Michaels on the basis of his knowledge of the club culture and added their focus remains on securing a Premiership return.
“Michaels is quite experienced and has been at the club before. His is well aware of the club’s history and culture and he also knows the players well. Obviously we are looking at bouncing back into the Premier League, so our priorities remain the same,” said Dube.
Michaels’ first assignment is Saturday’s Ascot Stadium acid test against fellow soldiers and third-placed Tongogara who recently emerged as serious title contenders.
