Zimpapers Logo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]

REIGNING Castle Lager Premier Soccer League champions FC Platinum has been rocked by a serious dressing room technical implosion that has seen goalkeepers’ coach Tembo Chuma abandoning his duties following a fall-out with head coach Norman Mapeza.

Veteran goalkeeper Petros Mhari has been taking his colleagues through their paces, in the absence of Chuma whom Chronicle online can exclusively reveal that he returned to Zvishavane on Tuesday ahead of a meeting with the club’s executive either today or tomorrow.

While club spokesperson Chido Chizondo said Chuma is on duty, inside sources said relations between the two gaffers took a turn for the worst when the technical team held a meeting sometime last month where Mapeza demanded to know from Chuma why the team’s goal-conceding rate was high.

                            Chido Chizondo

By then, after 10 games, FC Platinum had conceded 11 goals.

“In his response, Chuma said that the reason why was because of inadequate pre-season preparations, but assured the head coach that as the season progressed, guys will pick up. However, that wasn’t acceptable to Mapeza who stated point-blank that he cannot continue working with Chuma. That position came as a shock to everyone,” said the source.

FC Platinum head coach Norman Mapeza

The source said since then, relations between the two have not been the best and the tension was having a strain on the players as well.

The respected Hwange-born and former Masvingo United goalkeeper remains the only goalkeeper’s coach in the country, if not the Southern African region, to have produced five goalkeepers of the year in three different clubs inside a decade.

In 2012, Highlanders’ Ariel Sibanda was voted the PSL Goalkeeper of the Year and the following season, his teammate Munyaradzi Diya took the accolades.

Chuma left Highlanders for ZPC Kariba and went on to produce another goalkeeping king in Tendai Hove who was named the 2014 PSL Goalkeeper of the Year.

He rejoined the Bulawayo giants in 2018, taking over from club legend Peter Nkomo and when the selection of the country’s best 11 players was done, Ariel Sibanda emerged as the best goalkeeper in the land.

Last year, FC Platinum goalkeeper Wallace Magalane took the honours under Chuma.

@skhumoyo2000.