FC Platinum have been angered by Dynamos president, Keni Mubaiwa’s assertion that the Zvishavane-based top-flight football club does not have a good environment for the development of young talent following Brett Amidu’s switch from DeMbare to the Norman Mapeza-coached side.
BY MUKUDZEI CHINGWERE
In an interview carried in NewsDay Weekender, Mubaiwa, who sounded riled by Amidu’s decision to quit the Harare giants for the platinum miners, suggested that the player, together with Godknows Murwira and Dominic Mukandi, who both switched to Ngezi Platinum, had made wrong moves, which would ruin their careers.
Mubaiwa said that the players’ moves were motivated solely by money, while suggesting that staying at Dynamos would have been the best for the trio.
FC Platinum president, George Mawere dismissed Mubaiwa, saying his club provided a good environment for talent development.
“I find that assertion (that they out to destroy young talent) very strange, it is not only misleading, but false,” he said.
“We (FC Platinum) have a well-functioning junior policy that starts from secondary school up to the Under-19s, who are in the Central Region Division One League.We are committed to the development of football from the grassroots and have mobilised resources specifically to achieve that.”
Mawere said his club only pays what they believe the players are worth and that they do not pay as much as some people think they do.
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“In terms of remuneration of our players, we believe that we just pay players basing on their capabilities and our salaries are not very different from some of the teams in the Premier Soccer League. So I will not lose sleep over people’s perceptions that are far from the truth,” he said.
Mawere said they were giving Mapeza necessary support with a few signings to challenge at the highest level.
“The coach has advised us on the areas that need some reinforcements and we are doing just that, so that he has a team at his disposal that is capable of challenging for top honours this season,” he said.
The platinum miners have once again turned to the transfer market to bolster their squad ahead of the upcoming campaign to put another brave fight on the league’s ultimate prize.
They have completed the signing of Talent Chawapiwa and Amidu and are now finalising the deal to recruit Soccer Star of the Year finalist, Gift Mbweti.
Ocean Mushure could be another addition to Mapeza’s squad.
After backing Mapeza in the transfer market again this season, the platinum miners will demand nothing short of the league title from the coach,who they have offered a new two-year deal.
Mubaiwa was left fuming after DeMbare were deserted by the three players with indications that more players could be on their way out.
“We will not stand in the way of players who want out. Most of these guys are promised a lot of money, but they take it at the expense of their careers. If they get better offers somewhere, they can leave, but they should think carefully before making such decisions,” Mubaiwa said.
“In Brett’s case, I think he made the wrong decision and I think he is being misled by these so-called player managers. The young man was developing well at Dynamos and had a promising future here. We wanted to mould him into a better player and improve his career. He had a better chance to join a bigger club abroad, while playing for Dynamos. But greed messed up his mind.”
Mubaiwa even compared Amidu’s move to that of Joel Ngodzo, who at 22 years of age, was one of the most promising players in the country, while playing for Highlanders, but his career took a downturn after he joined the platinum miners.
