The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Highlanders coach Bongani Mafu, who is meant to be in Botswana to take charge of Mochudi Centre Chiefs is in Bulawayo after he was informed he will be called by the club officials once they sort out their internal structures.
Mafu, who was assistant coach to Sunday Chidzambwa together with Lloyd Mutasa when the Warriors won the recent Cosafa cup, travelled to Botswana for the club’s pre-season preparations last month but they informed him that they will call him once they put in a new committee by 5 August. When that day passed, Mafu who was forced to seek alternative accommodation since his club-rented flat in Gaborone was locked by the owner for non-payment of rentals and came back to Zimbabwe on 7 August.
With Mochudi seemingly going ahead with their preparations for the new season which kicks off next month without him, Mafu is considering ways of recovering what the club owes him which is believed to be over P200 000.
“I am just waiting for them to come back to me, they haven’t paid me my salary since February, I am owed a lot of money by those guys. Like now they are not communicating with me, I will be forced to seek help from Zifa and Fifa. They now have a new executive in place, I have made enquiries and I know what action to take to recover what they owe me,’’ said Mafu.
Asked if he is willing to return to the Botswana club where he still has one year left on his contract, Mafu made it clear that his going back would be on his terms.
“I am eagerly waiting for Mochudi Centre Chiefs to honour all our agreements, I sacrificed a lot for that team with nothing. I finished in the top eight under terrible working conditions. If they call me now, I won’t go back on their promises, they have to pay me what they owe me first,’’ he said.
Mochudi spokesperson Clifford Mogomotsi indicated that they told Mafu to stay put in Zimbabwe while they arrange their in-house composition.
Mogomotsi said once that happens, they will engage Mafu to inform him to come back or not.
“The club has not made a determination about the future of the coach as we are currently on a transition phase, we will map the way forward soon. He understands the circumstances that led him to be in Zimbabwe. Mafu shall remain in Zimbabwe until we sort ourselves structurally,’’ said Mogomotsi.
On who was taking charge of the club’s pre-season, Mogomotsi said the technical team that Mafu assembled is ensuring that the build-up runs smoothly.
“Chiefs is not a one man’s show, there are other people involved. Once we are ready we will engage Mafu to come or not come depending on the situation on the ground. We have the technical team Mafu left here (his two assistants, goalkeeper coach and the endurance trainer),’’ Mogomotsi said.
In Mafu’s first season, Mochudi finished seventh with 41 points. He had to work under difficult circumstances at Magosi with players sometimes going to matches without training.
@Mdawini_29
