Eastern Region Division One pacesetters Manica Diamonds’ coach Luke Masomere has been left disappointed by Sydney Linyama who has gone AWOL for one-and-a-half months at the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC)-owned side.
BY JOTHAM GUTSA
The lanky centre-back has not reported for duty and his coach was left with no option, but to deregister him.
Manica Diamond currently lead the 16-team Eastern region Division One League with 41 points from 15 matches.
“Sydney Linyama has not reported for duty for one-and-a-half months now and he has not been communicating with me. I don’t even know where he is and why he has not been reporting for work. He once called the team manager and was told to call me, but to my surprise, he has not done so. We have de-registered him together with four other players,” Masomere said.
This is not the first time that Linyama has gone AWOL, having also disappeared on Dynamos, as they prepared for a continental assignment in 2013.
Manica Diamond have beefed up their squad, as they signed midfielder Tinashe Chigede from Shabanie Mine and Tatenda Kureti from Surrey, while they de-registered Jacob Muzokomba, defender William Mapfumo, Lungisi Ndlovu, Linyama and Edgar Tapera.
On Sunday, Lawrence Masibhera and Ishmael Lawe scored for Manica Diamonds against army side Buffaloes to open an 11-point gap at the top in an entertaining match played at Mutare Boys High and look firm candidates for the sole ticket to the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League from their region after second-placed Tenax were held 2-2 by Gaza Gunners in a match played at Gaza Stadium in Chipinge.
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The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services side Tenax have 30 points from 15 games.
Marondera-based Surrey are third with 28 points, while former top-flight side Buffaloes are fourth with the same number of points, but with an inferior goal difference.
Basement side Melfort recorded their first league win with an emphatic 4-1 victory over second from bottom side Mwenezana, while fifth-placed Green Fuel drew 1-1 with Surrey.
