Silva still in charge at Dynamos…… but

By Godknows Matarutse

Dynamos president Kenny Mubaiwa yesterday insisted the fate of coach Paulo Jorge Silva and his assistants will be decided after their league match against Hwange this weekend.

The DeMbare hierarchy had given Silva and his technical department an ultimatum to win three games on the trot starting with their clash against Mutare City Rovers two weeks ago.

DeMbare passed the first hurdle when they defeated City 2-1 at Sakubva Stadium but their mini-revival came to a screeching halt at the weekend when they lost 1-0 to bitter rivals CAPS United on Sunday.

It was the first time DeMbare had lost to Makepekepe in six years and it meant that Silva and his technical team would not meet the set target of getting the desired nine points even if they win against Hwange.

Mubaiwa yesterday told the Daily News that they would wait until their trip to the Colliery to make a decision but all pointers show that the Portuguese’s fate has already been sealed.

“Of course, we have given him a three-game ultimatum but we have to handle this in a professional manner,” Mubaiwa said.

“The results have not come and we need to look into that. But this one will not give us any headaches because we have agreed that they win three matches.

“After the Hwange match, the coach will produce a report and we will take it from there.”

Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa has already urged the DeMbare bosses to get rid of the Portuguese coach.

But yesterday it has emerged that Tonderai Ndiraya, who was replaced by Silva at the start of the season, was now the leading contender for the top post.

Ndiraya a former Dynamos midfielder was sacked despite managing a second-place finish in the title race in which they were beaten to the finishing line by Chicken Inn.

The club leadership then decided to hire a foreign coach in the hope he would deliver the championship.

The decision has backfired with Silva picking up only one win, a draw and two defeats in the opening four matches of the season.

After Sunday’s match, Silva blamed the defeat on referee Munyaradzi Majoni, who sent him off towards the end for excessive protesting.

“We lost because CAPS scored a goal and we did not score. We played well in the first half but it was not the same in the second half,” Silva said.

“Matters were made worse by the referee, he was stopping the match and it affected our rhythm. I don’t think the referee was here today.” Daily News