By Petros Kausiyo
Former Warriors manager Shariff Mussa is bouncing back into mainstream football following an audacious bid by Premiership giants CAPS United yesterday to lure the Harare businessman into their technical ranks.
Mussa was frozen out of the Warriors system in surprising and highly-questionable circumstances in February when Zifa decided to suspend all individuals fingered in the Asiagate scam until they have been cleared by the Justice Ebrahim Independent Ethics committee.
Although Mussa was not fingered in the match-fixing allegations, he still just found himself being swept away from the senior team with Zifa not offering much in terms of an explanation for his exclusion.
Instead, Zifa roped in Dynamos committee member Nyika Chifamba as the Warriors manager in a new set-up in which Rahman Gumbo came in as coach with the duo of David Mandigora and national Under-23 mentor Peter Ndlovu assisting him.
However, CAPS United, who are restructuring their technical crew following the sacking of Northern Irishman Sean Connor and his backroom staff on Sunday night, yesterday revealed that they were now lining up Mussa to take over as the club’s welfare manager.
The CAPS United axe also fell on assistant coach Lloyd Chitembwe, Joel Luphahla who was the team manager, goalkeepers’ coaches Richard Tswatswa and Brenna Msiska and trainer Kennedy Nagoli.
CAPS United have since appointed former Monomotapa gaffer Taurai Mangwiro as Connor’s successor on a caretaker basis with ex-Highlanders coach Mhkuphali Masuku coming in as the assistant while Msiska immediately bounced back as the goalkeepers’ coach.
Interestingly, Msiska has had a long working relationship with Mussa from their days at the Warriors. Both CAPS United president Twine Phiri and his deputy Farai Jere confirmed that they were targeting the affable businessman and believe that Mussa’s vast experience with the national team would help them in their turnaround endeavours.
Jere, who oversees the CAPS United operations while Phiri concentrates more on his role at the Premier Soccer League, said they had a lot of respect for Mussa whom they believe will “bring a professional touch to the efforts that we are making to revive our championship campaign.
“The excellent work that Shariff did for the national team is there for everyone to see and having such a man in our club ranks ties in with the dream that we have always had which is to be truly professional.
“Apart from being a professional and a man experienced in managing the welfare of players, Shariff is also like a father figure to the players and that is something that is badly needed at CAPS United. Shariff also has a passion for football which is undoubted and our club can only tap into his experience . . . he is also a very hard working man who understands his portfolio very well,’’ Jere said.
Phiri, Jere and club chief executive Maxwell Mironga also led their team to the Chitembwe family home after their morning training session at Hellenic Sports Club to pay their condolences following the death of Lloyd Chitembwe’s young brother Innocent.
Former Blue Swallows defender, Innocent Chitembwe, died in a car accident on Saturday forcing Lloyd to leave the CAPS United camp and abort the mission to oversee Makepekepe’s Premiership encounter against Hwange at the Colliery. The Herald
