PAULO Jorge Silva’s relationship with Dynamos might have come to its end after the club leadership convened an emergency meeting yesterday where it was agreed that the Portuguese coach be relieved of his duties just five matches into the 2016 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
Dynamos’ target at the start of the season was the league title, but after five matches, DeMbare trail leaders Caps United and FC Platinum by eight points having managed just one win, two draws and as many defeats.
Despite Dynamos putting up some commendable shows particularly when they played Caps United two weeks ago where they lost 1-0, the leadership wants more than just good performances and the results under Silva’s watch have been far from convincing.
Dynamos’ only win so far came three weeks ago against Mutare City Rovers, the only team to concede against DeMbare at this stage.
Rovers have since recovered and now sit above Dynamos on the league log.
Since Silva’s appointment as head coach, DeMbare have been constantly questioned over experimenting with a coach whose credentials are mysteriously untraceable.
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And it appears the Dynamos hierarchy has finally decided to go separate ways with their coach three months after he was appointed to lead the Glamour Boys.
According to information obtained from sources yesterday, assistant coach Lloyd Mutasa is set to be elevated to the post of head coach and could even take charge of the high-profile league clash against red-hot FC Platinum at Rufaro on Sunday.
This follows a meeting held in Harare yesterday by the club leadership which reportedly also agreed that the club appoints somebody with enough knowledge of the team, hence the decision to thrust Mutasa.
Other members of the backroom staff, including goalkeepers’ coach Gift Muzadzi and team manager Richard Chihoro, could also be retained as Dynamos seek to reboot their campaign following a sluggish start.
Silva signed a performance-based contract with the club and Dynamos could also opt out of the relationship because of some misrepresentations that the coach made when he applied for the hot seat.
Some of the misrepresentations include coaching experience where Silva claimed to have worked for clubs in Germany and Europe, yet it was established that his only coaching job was in Nigeria where he had a shortlived stay. Dynamos president Keni Mubaiwa has since revealed that they will not be compelled to compensate the coach since his contract was results-based.
“The coach signed a performance-based contract and how can we pay him if he fails to deliver? He will just go and we appoint another one. The talk that we will pay him $50 000 is his own imagination. As far as we are concerned, he has a performance-based contract and he can be fired any time depending on his performance,” said Mubaiwa.
The Portuguese had been given a target to collect nine points from the three matches against Mutare City, Caps United and Hwange, but managed to collect just four points with the 0-0 draw to Hwange compounding his miserable start to the season.
He registered just one win (2-1) over newly-promoted Mutare City Rovers in the five league matches he has presided so far.
DeMbare’s big letdown under Silva has been the lack of a cutting edge upfront where Rodreck Mutuma has led the line.
DeMbare recently recalled Evans Gwekwerere, who was clubless after his stint in Mozambique, as Silva sought to find the elusive goals.
Gwekwerere has been involved in two matches so far where the team has drawn blanks against Caps and Hwange.
The search for goals did not stop on Gwekwerere with the club angling in on signing Darryl Nyandoro, who is another free agent.
Nyandoro has been training with Dynamos since last week hoping to sign a deal with the former champions.
Dynamos left two slots open in the hope that they would sign Brazilian strikers that Silva had promised to bring from his native home.
That deal never materialised and it left DeMbare, who had parted ways with Takesure Chinyama, short of firepower upfront.
