The Sunday News
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
VETERAN football coach Cosmas “Tsano” Zulu left Ngezi Platinum Stars a happy man after four years, following mutual termination of his contract on Friday.
Ngezi have since appointed Claudios Gunduza as their goalkeepers’ trainer, replacing Zulu.
“Ngezi Platinum Stars Football Club would like to inform all its stakeholders that the Club has parted ways with Goalkeeper’s Coach Cosmas Tsano Zulu by mutual agreement. Tsano, as Cosmas Zulu is affectionately known, joined NPS FC in 2019, but due to a restructuring exercise at the Club, both parties have mutually agreed to part ways with effect from February 2023. NPS FC wishes Tsano all the best in his future endeavours. Meanwhile, Coach Claudios Gunduza has been appointed as the new Goalkeeper’s Coach,” reads the club’s statement.
Zulu worked under four coaches at Ngezi, namely Erol Akbay, Rodwell Dhlakama, Benjani Mwaruwari as well as the newly appointed gaffer Takesure Chiragwi when he was an interim gaffer.
Despite being cleared by the club’s disciplinary committee, having been suspended on allegations of undermining authority, Zulu spent the better part of last season on the sidelines.
In July, Zulu was suspended from his goalkeepers’ trainer role at Ngezi Platinum Stars, pending outcome of an investigation of not respecting authority within the technical set-up. There were allegations that Zulu had undermined the Mwaruwari led technical team before they were dismissed a week later following a string of poor results.
Zulu vehemently denied the allegations and after the club’s investigations as well as a disciplinary hearing, the veteran gaffer was cleared. Chiragwi held the key for Zulu’s return to the senior team and it seems as the club restructured, they thought of doing away with the veteran gaffer. However, Zulu has no qualms about his exit.
“I had a good four years at Ngezi Platinum Stars and I’m grateful for the good times I had. Twice we managed to be in the Chibuku Super Cup finals and those are some of the good memories I have. I would like to thank the club president Stanley Segula, the board chairman Takawira Maswiswi, executive chairman Leonard Musariri, the CEO and the secretariat, coach Deco (Chiragwi) and all members of the technical team, players and fans for the good times we shared,” said Zulu.
Zulu twice survived the axe at Ngezi following the ouster of Akbay and Dhlakama before being retained by Mwaruwari last March alongside Chiragwi as assistants. The former Warriors captain, Mwaruwari, had brought with him into Ngezi’s technical team Bongani Mafu (assistant coach), team manager Tinashe Nengomasha and Tonderai Vera as the performance analyst before Chiragwi was rewarded with the permanent Ngezi Platinum Stars head coach job after turning around their fortunes to end the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season in the top four.
Chiragwi, who has been given freedom to assemble his preferred technical team took charge of
Bongani Mafu
Ngezi Platinum Stars on an interim basis when the club fired Mwaruwari following a string of unsatisfactory results in July.
When Chiragwi, who was Mwaruwari’s assistant took over, Ngezi Platinum Stars were on position nine with 30 points from 22 games. In his 12 games, Chiragwi managed to win seven matches, drew four and lost once as he amassed 25 points from a possible 36.
Ngezi Platinum Stars finished the season fourth with 55 points behind winners FC Platinum (75), Chicken Inn (63) and Dynamos (58). Meanwhile, Zulu said he needs time to rest before deciding his next step.
“I’ll be in a better position to comment about my future in two weeks’ time, now I am on holiday,” Zulu said. — Follow on Twitter @ZililoR
