Vheremu leaves FC Platinum

By Sikhumbuzo Moyo

FC Platinum assistant coach and former captain Daniel Vheremu has left the Midlands side to join his former boss Norman Mapeza at the Absa Premiership side Chippa United.

Mapeza signed a three- year contract with the club, famously known for a very high turnover of coaches that has seen the club hiring 20 coaches since 2011. Mapeza is the 21st coach since then.

“Vheremu bade us farewell on Friday soon after training and said he was on his way to South Africa where he will be assistant to Mapeza,” said a player.

Pure Platinum Play media relations officer Chido Chizondo could neither confirm nor deny that their assistant had left them.

“I don’t have anything tangible yet but just heard from the grapevine,” she said.

With his departure, head coach Lizwe Sweswe will now have Patrick Mandizha as the only assistant.

Vheremu rose through the ranks having started as an ordinary player from Dynamos. He became the team’s captain until his retirement from active play and was appointed assistant coach.

He is famously known for his sensational own goal at Mandava Stadium in November 2011 that saw Dynamos winning the match by a single goal to eventually seal the race for the league title.

The failure by FC Platinum to win the league title that year cost then coach Rahman Gumbo his job at the end of the season and it had to take six years for the Midlanders to win their first league title under Mapeza who also won it last year.

They remain firmly on course to win it for the third time on the trot although they are second to Caps United.

On Saturday they returned to their winning ways with a 3-1 thumping of Yadah at Mandava Stadium through goals from Kelvin Madzongwe, hard working youngster Perfect Chikwende and reigning Soccer Star of the Year Rodwell Chinyengetere. The Chronicle