PRESSURE continues to mount on Harare City coach Bigboy Mawiwi who is yet to register a victory in the league season amid claims that he is being sabotaged by some members of the club’s hierarchy.
By Tawanda Tafirenyika Sports Correspondent
City, who came close to winning last season’s championship, have endured a disastrous start to the 2014 Castle Lager Premier League campaign following three successive defeats which have left them anchoring the league table after three matches.
After a defeat to Chicken Inn in their opening match, Harare City were edged 2-1 by Harare giants Caps United — the same team which denied them the championship last season after they threw spanners in their works to draw 2-2 in a match the Sunshine City boys needed a victory of any margin to clinch their maiden championship.
On Saturday, Mawiwi’s men were edged 1-0 by Premiership new boys ZPC Kariba who have had an explosive start in their maiden campaign in the topflight league. For a team that nearly clinched the championship at the expense of giants Dynamos and Highlanders in a very close race last term, the performance by Harare City in their first three games has bred doubt about their capacity to mount a serious challenge on the championship this term.
Sources close to the team’s dressing room said there were some people in the club hierarchy sabotaging the team.
Mawiwi however, declined to talk about the instability and the alleged sabotage in his team saying only they were facing “challenges”.
“We are going through a difficult period. We are facing challenges as a team, but I think we will be able to bounce back,” said Mawiwi.
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A source, however, claimed Mawiwi was paying the price for failing to retain Godfrey Nguwodzawo and Edgar Tapera in the team as they were close to an influential member of the executive secretary general Tarisai Kwenda.
Nguwodzawo has since joined How Mine while Tapera has gone down to Division One.
The two players are said to enjoy a close relationship with Kwenda. She is said to have been riled by the decision to sideline Nguwodzawo and Tapera from the team.
On Saturday she is alleged to have celebrated when ZPC Kariba scored.
When the team went to Bulawayo for their opening match of the season, Kwenda is said to have given an instruction that there was no hotel room for Mawiwi.
Sometime this year, one of the players Phineas Bhamusi is said to have been given the responsibility to hand out payslips to members of the technical team.
“There is clear sabotage within the team. The secretary-general celebrated after ZPC scored in full view of the supporters. Even the deputy mayor Thomas Muzuva saw her celebrating.
“She is unhappy with the decision by the technical team not to retain Nguwodzawo and Tapera. Her relationship with the two players is beyond football,” said the source.
Kwenda could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Harare City lost the championship to Dynamos on goal difference last season after they had finished the campaign with the same number of points. Highlanders also finished with the same number of points and had to settle for second place.
