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NewsDay

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PSL summons Chiredzi FC

Sport
THERE seems to be no end to the Chiredzi Football Club saga as the team’s executive yesterday declared they were no longer in a position to work with coach Moses Chunga.

THERE seems to be no end to the Chiredzi Football Club saga as the team’s executive yesterday declared they were no longer in a position to work with coach Moses Chunga, who is listed in the club’s books as a director.

TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA/KENNETH NYANGANI

Two players – Norman Maroto and Fidelis Mangezi – have also been dragged into the melee, leading to the club being summoned to appear before the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in Harare today to explain the ownership structure of the club.

Yesterday, impeccable sources said the Chiredzi executive felt Chunga was overstepping his mandate.

“The executive is no longer prepared to work with Chunga, their differences are unsolvable. The issue of ownership is at the centre of everything. The executive believe that Chunga is overstepping, he wants to be everything – the coach, treasurer, secretary – he just wants everything, I don’t know why,” the source said.

“They have been summoned by the PSL tomorrow (today) to explain their differences, but I just believe that ownership will be one of the issues. The invitations have been sent to Zifa Eastern Region chairman Piraishe Mabhena and Chiredzi chairman Charles Muchatukwa.”

A Chiredzi FC executive member, who, however, refused to be named, said their relationship was no longer workable.

“Perhaps he [Chunga] is the director, but in what capacity? This is a community team and the executive signed a memorandum of understanding with Hippo Valley, but tomorrow (today) we are going to meet the Premier Soccer League management in the capital,” he said.

“The worrying trend is that some of the players such as Norman Maroto and Fidelis Mangezi interfere in the welfare of the team.” When the team was ceded by Hippo Valley to the community, a memorandum of understanding for the community was signed by Muchatukwa and secretary-general Reason Dube.

Both Muchatukwa and Chunga were not available for comment yesterday.

Some of the members who are in the Chiredzi FC executive are vice-chairman Joel Sithole, treasurer Norman Sharara, secretary-general Dube and committee member for marketing Isaac Matsilele. Problems at the club emanated from the $4 000 gate-takings that Chunga is alleged to have taken to pay the players after the Dynamos league match at Chishamiso Stadium.

The Muchatukwa-led executive threatened to make it a police matter, but Chunga told this publication that he was “ready for the war”.

The problems worsened after their one-all draw against Hwange last Saturday as players demanded their dues from the club’s executive. Police were called in to cool tempers prompting them to take the money for safekeeping.

Muchatukwa was forced to call an emergency meeting the following day to iron out their differences.

Chunga abruptly resigned from his post in the heated meeting, but on Monday he make a spectacular mid-air somersault saying he would not leave the club as it was his project.

It seems the Chiredzi FC executive does not want to be taken for granted.

PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele said today’s meeting would also be attended by the Footballers’ Union of Zimbabwe.

Ndebele said the problems affecting the club go back to the issue of club licensing whereby all clubs were required to have full-time office bearers including media liaison officers.

“We have called up the executive of Chiredzi FC to a meeting tomorrow (today) to try and help them iron out their differences.

The purpose of the meeting is to establish who does what in the club, so we have asked them to bring with them their constitution.  It is a very important document. At the beginning of the year we asked all clubs to submit these documents, but the response has not been encouraging.  A constitution is a founding document and gone are the days when people can just sit down under a tree and say they constitute a club,” Ndebele said.

“We have noticed from the list of names which have been given to us at our request that Moses Chunga is listed as a board member of the club, but it appears as if he took that money as a coach.

We feel this endangers the league and affects the welfare of players. The Footballers’ Union of Zimbabwe is also concerned with the welfare of the players and we have called them to this meeting. This is also the same club which has registered 34 players and is now failing to pay them.”