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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
HWANGE FC coach Nation Dube is worried about the absence of former Soccer Star of the Year finalist Nkosana Siwela and striker Aleck Marime from their pre-season training which started last Monday. The coalminers who finished last season on position seven have found no joy in getting hold of Siwela and Marime for the last 10 days, with Dube saying he had reported the duo to the executive.

Siwela is said to have set his sight on joining Triangle United but still has a year left in his contract with the coalminers while the destination of Marime, whose 2014 first half of the season performance had drawn interest of Highlanders and Dynamos, is not known.

“As a coach I would have loved to start my pre-season with all the players that we had but unfortunately we haven’t heard from Siwela and Marime. We are finishing our second week tomorrow and they have missed out which means that they will be lagging behind in terms of physical training that we have been doing,” Dube said.

“What I have done is to report their absence without official leave to the executive and they are the ones who are going to deal with them because they are still contracted to Hwange FC.”

Chipangano have already lost the services of fringe players Oscar Lungu and Richard Jongwe who asked for their clearance letters last week.

Dube said it was unfortunate that Lungu and Jongwe decided to leave as they were hoping to negotiate for their continued stay at the club during the course of their pre-season training.

Their departure could be a blessing in disguise for midfielders Gift Mbweti and Innocent Mucheneka who have been promoted from Hwange’s Under-20 side which is competing in the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League.

“Like I have said before, we won’t be buying any so-called big names because we have a vibrant junior policy this side and that is why we have already promoted two players from our developmental side. Mbweti is an attacking midfielder while Mucheneka is a defensive midfielder and this is their time to shine. Chipangano has always been known to be a club that affords youngsters from the Hwange community an opportunity to showcase their talent in the Premiership,” said Dube.

Club greats like Skeva Phiri, Isaac Phiri, David Khumalo, Amos Rendo, David Phiri (Kabwe), Francis Mwinga, Daniel Rendo, Isaac Tshuma and Fabian Zulu are some of the stars that came from the club’s junior development.