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Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu

Raymond Jaravaza, Sports Correspondent
UNDERFIRE Bulawayo City coach, Mandla Mpofu’s, future will be decided after he defends his team’s 2017 performance in a crunch meeting with the club executive on a date yet to be announced.

The club executive met last week to review the team’s performance that saw City escaping relegation on the last day of the season after demolishing Bantu Rovers 5-0.

A defeat would have seen City being relegated to Division One just like their fellow municipal sponsored cousins, Harare City, who will be playing in the Zifa Northern Region in 2018 after failing to garner enough points to avoid the chop.

The marathon review meeting by the City executive, which covered a wide range of issues, did not make a decision on Mpofu’s future.

City chief executive officer, Mckenzie Moyo said the supporters, executive and even coaches and players were not happy with the 2017 performance and the general consensus was that City cannot continue fighting relegation each season.

“The club executive appreciates that the team’s momentum was disturbed when Try Ncube was dropped from the position of head coach as a result of the minimum requirements for PSL coaches by Zifa and we were thus forced to bring in Mandla Mpofu.

“In our last meeting we discussed all the pertinent issues around the team’s performance and it was agreed that Mpofu should be given an opportunity to defend himself as well as present a road map of how he intends to change the fortunes of the team if he will still be in charge next season,” said Moyo.

He, however, conceded that the team’s dismal performances could not be entirely blamed on the head coach.

“The head coach doesn’t work in a vacuum; he is supported by backroom staff, so it is imperative that we give him a chance to state his case before making an informed decision whether or not to relieve him of his duties.”

Although a specific date for the crunch meeting between the executive and Mpofu has not been set, Moyo said it will definitely be held before Christmas.

City finished the 2017 season on 39 points, just a point ahead of relegated Harare City.

Hwange, Tsholotsho and Bantu Rovers also joined the Sunshine Boys.

@RaymondJaravaza