Controversy stalks Mugadza’s axing

The Mighty Warriors technical team led by Rosemary Mugadza has been relieved of its duties with immediate effect in a move that has sparked controversy.

Mugadza, who was the head coach, was sacked alongside assistant coach Mebelo Njekwa, goalkeepers coach Ndega Matsika and kit manager Fungai Nyamutukwa on Wednesday.

ZIFA said its “part of the association’s administration structural review programme.”

However, Mugadza was fired after she refused to follow a ZIFA directive not to pick players who were featuring for a league that is under suspended women football boss, Miriam Sibanda. The clubs that have been playing in that league are also set to be suspended.

Mugadza refused to be drawn into the fight between Sibanda and ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze and chose to pick the best possible players for the national team irrespective of which league they were playing in.

But she has now paid the price for that with the Association firing her. Shadreck Mlauzi of Inline Academy replaces Mugadza as head coach.

He will be assisted by former Mighty Warriors player and Tsholotsho FC assistant coach, Sithethelelwe Sibanda and Johannes Chikaola, who retained his position as assistant coach.

Peter Masibero is the new goalkeeper’s coach while former captain Onai Chingawo is the new kit manager. Former Highlanders coach, Barry Daka, comes in as the technical advisor and Charity Munemo retained her post as the team’s manager.

According to the Zifa website, the technical team was disbanded with immediate effect.

“Members of the Mighty Warriors technical team have been relieved of their duties with immediate effect. The decision is part of the association’s administration structural review programme,” read part of the statement released by ZIFA yesterday.

Mlauzi and his technical team are expected to commence their duties with the selection of the team to take on Cameroon in the last round of the Olympic Games qualifiers next month. They are expected to submit their provisional squad on Monday.

Zimbabwe will face Cameroon on October 3 at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde, in the first leg. The return leg will be at Rufaro on October 17.

“The new team will manage the Olympic qualifiers and other assignments and are taking over with immediate effect. The new technical team is expected to produce team list by Monday 14 September for the game against Cameroon,” read the statement.

In a letter written to Mugadza by Mashingaidze on September 9, the former Mighty Warriors coach is expected to surrender the association’s assets by Monday.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association hereby advises you that your services as head coach for the senior women’s team have been terminated with immediate effect.

“The termination of your services is part of the association’s structural review programme.

“Meanwhile the association would like to thank you for the services rendered during the time you were engaged. May you kindly return any association’s assets in your possession by Monday 14th September 2015,” reads the letter.

ZIFA’s High Performance Committee chairperson, John Phiri, said they just made some recommendations to ZIFA after the board decided to disband the technical team.

“We received a letter sometime back from the board telling us they were terminating Rosemary Mugadza’s contract.

“We set down as the High Performance Committee and looked into the issues (raised) and we came out with whatever we came out with and the board approved. That’s where we ended, we just make policies.

“We look at performance as well and then see what needs to be corrected, we were looking into that but the decision to terminate the contract is done by the board,” said Phiri.

However, Ben Moyo, who is a member of that High Performance Committee, yesterday said they never recommended that Mugadza be fired.

“You can talk to Gibson Homela and Charles Sibanda and they will tell you that we never made that recommendation that Rose should be fired,” said Moyo.

“We have to be careful here that we are not used given that we occupy a very important committee for our football.

“We had a meeting on Monday and that issue was not raised, maybe there was another meeting that was held after we had left but that would be unfortunate.

“If I remember well, our recommendation was that Rose gets a technical advisor because that is how Fifa feels women football can be empowered and advanced and it’s unfortunate that we are now being dragged into this issue when we were not part of it.”

Mugadza has been the Mighty Warriors coach since 2004 when she took over from Shacky Tauro. The former Mighty Warriors captain’s success with the team was winning the Cosafa Championships in 2011.

Meanwhile, acting Women Football chairperson Elizabeth Langa said they will go ahead with their decision to suspend clubs that are affiliated to the league run by Sibanda and the players will be ineligible for consideration into the national teams.

“If they don’t want to follow what we have told them it’s going to cost their players also. It’s unfortunate that the players will suffer but it’s likely to be that.

“We wrote to them two weeks ago and will see what happens this weekend. Last week was the deadline for the teams but there were no games so we will see this week.

“The most painful thing is that the players are the victims. We didn’t want this to happen because those players, they are innocent,” said Langa.

The league run by Langa has 10 teams – Inline Academy, New Orleans, Chipembere Queens, Masvingo Queens, Cyclone, Mufakose, Flame Lily, Faith Drive, Tenax and Conduit.

However, Langa said Barrow Jets have since joined their league taking their total number to 11 clubs. The Herald