BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Former Manica Diamonds coach Luke Masomere, who was sacked on Sunday, has claimed that the club is struggling financially and it failed to back him on the transfer market to achieve the set targets.
Masomere said his contract demanded that he guides the team to at least four wins for every four matches, but claimed that he did not have the right players to achieve such targets.
Under his watch, the Mutare-based side collected 19 points from 17 matches after four wins, seven draws and losing six times.
But according to the club requirements, he ought to have reached at least 36 points at this stage of the season. Log leaders FC Platinum have 32 points.
Masomere yesterday poured his heart out to NewsDay Sport saying the contract requirements were not realistic claiming that they were manufactured to get rid of him.
He also blamed his long standing tiff with club vice-chairman Lavet Wadawareva, who he said had a personal vendetta dating back to the time the administrator was at Mimosa, while Vahombe coached Shabanie.
Masomere said the club struggled to pay salaries and the players lacked basics such as proper football boots and tracksuits.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“Wadawareva and some of his blue-eyed executive members had to come up with a contract that contains targets that are not achievable so that they could fire me.” Masomere said.
“They are not looking at the performance of the league, but they are looking at the performance of Masomere.
“Even at the moment, log leaders have not reached 36 points, so this contract was designed just to get rid of me. During the transfer window period I was not backed by anyone.”
He added that the club failed to sign most of the players he had asked for, while some players were brought in without his approval or request.
The former Dynamos and Caps United coach said he had tried to keep the problems were affecting the club in house.
“There are no tracksuits and there are no football boots. Imagine that our player Tendai Matindife’s boot busted during a match against Bulawayo Chiefs and I had to substitute him. There is no money, there is no single month we have got our money on time,” he said
Masomere, who was the founding coach at the club in 2017, led the team from the Eastern Region Division One where they went unbeaten the entire season to gain promotion to the topflight this year.
The travelled coach alleged that there was a certain coach who had been waiting in the wings to take over from him.
“I think I also over stayed at Manica Diamonds Football Club, Wadawareva wanted to fire me the very first time he was appointed the vice-chairman of Manica Diamonds and staying this long has been through God’s mercy.
“It was tough to work at Manica Diamonds. My work at the club was hell. I know the problems with Wadawareva started when he was at Mimosa and I was with Shabanie. I know this started in Zvishavane.
“I provided the executive with a wish list of players who I was confident would form a formidable team, unfortunately some players were signed without my knowledge or recommendation. I told them it was not possible to win four matches in every six matches with some of the players that we had,” he added.
