CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League returnees Bantu Rovers are still on the prowl for a substantive head coach after plans to appoint Agent Sawu were off-set by the new minimum qualification requirements imposed by the football mother body, Zifa.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
The head coach and his assistant are required to have at least a Caf A licence, which Sawu does not possess.
Johannes Ngodzo, who led the team into the top-flight league, does not meet the requirements either and the club has had to use club president Methembe Ndlovu as a stop-gap measure.
Ndlovu, who is not new to the Bantu Rovers’ technical team set-up, was in charge when his outfit suffered a 5-0 defeat to former champions Chicken Inn at Luveve Stadium on Saturday.
He sat in the dugout with only goalkeepers’ coach Nkosiyazi Ncube and a member of the medical team, and he confirmed after the match that he was in charge on an interim basis until the club found a suitable coach.
“We wanted Agent Sawu to be our coach, but he did not meet the required standards. I am the interim coach and will only hold fort until we find someone who can fit the bill,” Ndlovu said.
Sawu holds an English Football Association International Coaching badge.
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Before the start of the season, one of the coaches believed to have expressed interest in the Bantu Rovers job is Wilson Mutekede, who has since joined Shabanie Mine.
Former Warriors and Shu Shine FC midfielder Tavaka Gumbo is also believed to be interested in the job.
Bantu Rovers, whose main objective is developing players, have a youthful side that contains, among others, Bukhosi Sibanda, Munyaradzi Chitambwe, Gladman Bharibhari and McCarthy Dube.
On Saturday, they fielded a squad that only had three experienced players in goalkeeper Ndodana Sibanda, Tapiwa Kumbuyani and Newman Sianchali. Ndlovu believes the youthful side will improve with each game.
They have also brought in former Highlanders and Triangle defender Dumisani Ndlovu and ex-How Mine goalkeeper Nonjabulo Dube, but the two were not part of the squad on Saturday.
Striker Nkosilathi Mpofu (16) was given seven minutes of play against Chicken Inn, replacing Sianchali.
Bantu Rovers have a tough away match against FC Platinum at the weekend.
