Shabanie Mine involved in road accident
By Paul Mundandi
It never rains but it pours for Premiership soccer side Shabanie Mine.
The Zvishavane-based asbestos miners were involved in a road accident at Mbalabala on Saturday when they were travelling from Beitbridge after their match against Premiership newcomers Tripple B who beat them 3-0.
Their team bus hit a stray cow that died on the spot and the front of the bus was damaged but no one was injured, according to their patron Greg Mataka.
Shabanie had been banned from travelling during the night and last season when Vadette Trading and Obed Dube were sponsoring the team, they used to sleep in three-star hotels before and after their matches but now they are travelling on match day after Vadette withdrew their sponsorship of the team and this has affected the side’s performance as they are still to register a win away from Maglas this season.
Fans in the mining town have been calling for the executive to engage Vadette Trading and Dube whose sponsorship made Shabanie a force to reckon with in the Premiership last season.
After the match on Saturday, interim coach, Arnold Jani, was manhandled by “bouncers” who were asking him to resign from his post after managing just a point from four matches. But Jani, a trusted lieutenant of the banned Shabanie Mine Luke Masomere, refused to throw in the towel.
Meanwhile, it is understood that Masomere has been exonerated by the Zifa Appeals Committee and might be back at the club this week.
“We are still waiting for the outcome and once we get the official statement (from Zifa that Masomere has been exonerated by the Zifa Appeals Committee) will deliberate on the issue and the decision to re-engage him will be made by the majority of the members,” Mataka said.
Last week the Shabanie Mine executive committee appointed Fredrick Siziba, a former Shabanie and Shu-Shine player, as the team’s technical advisor but their proposal was shot down by Mataka who has always been on record that he would only make changes after the Zifa Appeals Committee had finalised Masomere issue.
Masomere is, however, a wanted man in the mining town and chances are that he might bounce back this week for the explosive derby pitting Shabanie and FC Platinum on Sunday.
When contacted yesterday, Zifa chief executive, Jonathan Mashingaidze, could neither confirm nor deny that Masomere had been cleared by the association’s Appeals Committe.
“We have not been given the outcome by the Appeals Committee. We will get the determination tomorrow (today) and what has been reported in the other papers is just speculation. Once we get it (the judgment), we will communicate to the appellants and we will in turn advise the board, Caf, Fifa and the Sports Commission,” said Mashingaidze.
Meanwhile, Pithias Shoko, the Shabanie Mine club administrator, has appealed for calm at the club.
“I am appealing to the Zvishavane community to be calm. Jani did well under difficult conditions. We are going to rise from the ashes and we are not going to be relegated. We only need to re-strategise and support our coaches and I hope that Masomere is going to be cleared (by the Zifa Appeals Committee) and will bounce back to the club.
“There is no need to press the panic button but there is need for oneness and need to support our Chinda Boys. We might surprise FC Platinum on Sunday because our position on the log does not reflect the type of play for Shabanie.
“A couple of seasons ago, Monomotapa lost about five consecutive games under Norman Mapeza but at the end of that season they won the championship,” Shoko said. The Herald
