Why Pasuwa got fired . . . Zifa not happy with coach’s involvement with Mahachi Callisto Pasuwa
Callisto Pasuwa

Callisto Pasuwa

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
Player intermediary Gibson Mahachi’s alleged unethical relationship with Callisto Pasuwa led to the sacking of the gaffer from the Warriors’ top job, highly placed sources said yesterday.

Pasuwa and his backroom staff were shown the door on Thursday evening after an emergency Zifa board meeting, in a move that sent shock waves across the domestic football landscape.

Sources told Chronicle Sport that it was the seemingly unethical relationship between Mahachi and Pasuwa that the Philip Chiyangwa-led board felt uncomfortable with, especially with reports that more than 10 players from the Mahachi camp were part of the African Nations Championship (Chan) squad that was in camp in Harare, with six set to go for trials with South African teams next month.

“Pasuwa is being accused of among other things, dramatising problems in the association, holding the nation and the association at ransom but most gravely of his relationship with Mahachi,” said the source yesterday.

The source said Zifa’s argument also was that while the boys were in camp, it was the national association that was taking care of their daily allowances yet they might not even go to Rwanda for the Chan finals.

“These boys who are going to South Africa are only in camp to keep them fit. Remember they are also getting daily allowances while in camp yet they will not even go to Rwanda for the finals,” said the source.

Efforts to secure a comment from Mahachi failed since Thursday as he was not answering calls on his mobile while there was no connection to Pasuwa’s.

Acting Zifa president Omega Sibanda said at a Press conference at the Zifa headquarters in Harare that they tried to accommodate the four-time Castle Lager Premier Soccer League championship winning coach, but he was showing signs of insubordination after he walked out of the Zifa offices in the middle of a discussion.

“He left me in the office and took his things and went out, saying he was going to talk to his manager, Mahachi, after I had told him that we are going to have a stand-in manager for him in Wellington Mpandare,” said Sibanda adding that Mahachi had no business interfering with Zifa’s internal issues.

They had prior to that talked about player allowances locally and outside the country during the tournament as well as appearance fees and they had agreed.

“As a matter of trying to organise these things properly without causing conflict I called Mahachi and I told him about his conflict. I told him that he is a manager for Pasuwa and he got the job for Pasuwa. After getting the job for Pasuwa and as an agent, he should know his boundary that he manages the coach outside Zifa but if we breach the contract as Zifa then he can come in because we have breached a contract. But as long as there is no breach, if we are discussing our internal issues, bonuses, allowances which affect everybody, it’s a Zifa baby,” said Sibanda.

He said he also reminded Mahachi of the Fifa code of ethics.

“I reminded him that he was in conflict, there is no way he can manage the player in the national team and manage the coach, this automatically means that he owns the team. He can only manage the players, we don’t mind and if he decides to manage the coach it’s okay but he can’t manage both. So his position was compromised and as a result we could not speak to the coach because he refers to his manager,” said Sibanda.

Article 19 of the Fifa Code of Ethics that may have nailed Pasuwa reads:

“When performing an activity for Fifa or before being elected or appointed persons bound by this Code shall disclose any personal interests that could be linked with their prospective activities. Persons bound by this Code shall avoid any situation that could lead to conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest arise if persons bound by this Code have, or appear to have, private or personal interests that detract from their ability to perform their duties with integrity in an independent and purposeful manner. Private or personal interests include gaining any possible advantage for the persons bound by this Code themselves, their family, relatives, friends and acquaintances. Persons bound by this Code may not perform their duties in cases with an existing or potential conflict of interest. Any such conflict shall be immediately disclosed and notified to the organisation for which the person bound by this Code performs his duties and if an objection is made concerning an existing or potential conflict of interest of a person bound by this Code, it shall be reported immediately to the organisation for which the person bound by this Code performs his duties for appropriate measures”.

You Might Also Like

Comments