CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League side Shabanie Mine has appointed Alexio Sijoni head coach to replace Takesure Chiragwi, who stepped down citing excessive executive interference.
BY TERRY MADYAUTA
A number of big names such as Moses Chunga, Philani Ncube and Darlington Dodo were angling for the job, but the club opted for Sijoni, who was a cheaper option for the cash-strapped side.
The youthful gaffer has been tasked to help Shabanie Mine maintain their slot in the top-flight league, with the Zvishavane-based side involved in a battle for survival.
Shabanie chairman Tavaziva Mhloro confirmed Sijoni’s appointment.
“We have appointed Alexio Sijoni and he is our new head coach. He is expected to start work next week together with the boys. We decided to give him a chance after he did well to lead Shabanie to a victory against Herentals last week,” Mhloro said.
“He is young and his main task is to help this team survive relegation. At this stage, I cannot disclose how long the contract is, but I can tell you that after a long process of vetting and consideration, Sijoni has been identified as the right man for the job.
“A number of coaches wanted to work with us, among them Chunga and Ncube but we decided to operate within our limits and what we can afford.”
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Sijoni will work with Chris Moyo as the assistant coach and the recently-appointed technical advisory team of former Shabanie Mine sons that include Rowan Nenzou, Elvis Phiri and Gerald Phiri.
He presided over Shabanie’s 2-1 win over Herentals last weekend.
With 15 points against their name, Sijoni is faced with an uphill task of turning around the Shabanie’s fortunes in a potentially grilling second half of the season.
