FARAI Jere will not return to football anytime soon as he still has outstanding issues to conclude with former club Caps United.
SPORTS EDITOR WELLINGTON TONI
He has been linked with a major shareholding at Motor Action — a deal which was due to be signed this week after meetings with Mighty Bulls director Eric Rosen — but has stated that he intends to recover his 25% shareholding in Caps United first.
Jere issued a statement yesterday, two days after his advisor Godfrey Mathanda apologised for “letting the cat out of the bag” prematurely.
Mathanda, who met with Jere on Friday, wrote in his apology: “Dear Mr Jere: Thanks for candid talk this evening and my very sincere apologies for any inconveniences the NewsDay article may have caused you and your family.
“Please accept this apology without any reservations whatsoever. Intentions were not bad but like you rightfully said, the timing was bad because we have better things coming and we don’t want the mood disturbed. I don’t want anything that make(s) you angry or unhappy and I pray to God above that our relationship remain(s) intact.”
In his statement, Jere says: “I don’t have any intentions to come back into football any time soon. Yes, they say once in football always in football, but not any time soon. I don’t know where Mathanda got all this story.
“For the record, I am not joining Motor Action or any club. Motor Action director (Mr) Eric Rosen approached me at my Eastlea offices with a partnership proposal. I told him that I still have to finish my issues with Caps United. I have to first recover my 25% shareholding in Caps United and recover my US1,4m.
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“TK Hove (lawyer) is working on recovering my 25% shareholding in Caps United which disappeared from his office. That is his issue to recover those shares. Only after recovering, disposing of those shares and (after I) recover my US1,4m which I invested in Caps United since 2005 up to the end of the 2012 season, that is when I can move forward. I can’t lose all that and keep quiet.
“Please see below an email from Mathanda apologising for talking to the Press on my behalf without my consent. I just woke up and found such a damaging article in the paper. Hope you will set the record straight to the readers.”
Mathanda had told NewsDay Sport last Thursday that at least seven corporates were waiting in the wings to come on board once the marriage between the two football administrators was consummated.
“The two gentlemen met on Friday (last Friday). It was a fruitful meeting and I can say it is more than 90% done. What is just left is the valuation. Jere has asked Rosen to consider a valuation exercise of the business concept first before it can sail through,” said Mathanda.
“There will be a name change once the deal sails through. But what is important is that it will be the best thing ever for Zimbabwean football. There are plans to run the club as a business. There is business potential there.”
