The Sunday Mail
FORMER Zimbabwe international left-back Zhaimu Jambo is shaken by Kaizer Chiefs’ abrupt announcement that he has decided to hang up his boots at the ripe old age of 26.
The defender has retreated into his shell, switching off his mobile phone as he ponders the next move, his agent Ralph Nkomo revealed.
As Jambo gets into soul-searching mode, Kaizer Chiefs have told The Sunday Mail that the defender’s chapter at the club is not closed as yet.
Jambo was on the receiving end of a nasty tackle from countryman Tinashe Nengomasha in an Absa Premiership clash in October 2012.
The injury to his knee sidelined him until last month when he resumed training at Nautrena, the Amakhosi headquarters.
Reports in July indicated that the defender had passed a mandatory pre-season medical and was inching closer to match fitness.
“Jimmy Jambo has reportedly passed his pre-season Kaizer Chiefs medical without any undue concerns about his long-term conditioning.
“The 26-year-old hasn’t played a competitive PSL fixture for the club since seriously injuring his knee in a robust challenge with Tinashe Nengomasha in October 2012.
“The severity of the injury meant that the Zimbabwean international has been in rehabilitation for close to two years. As a result, speculation has been rife that (the) Glamour Boys management may release the player early from his contract which runs until June 2015,” Soccerladuma reported.
However, in what the player’s camp described as a bolt out of the blue, Amakhosi took to their twitter account two weeks ago to announce that Jambo, a Dynamos juniors’ product, had decided to hang up his boots.
“Jimmy Jambo has decided to hang up his boots because of his injury,” tweeted @Kaizer_Chiefs.
The announcement, which did not feature the traditional ‘I thank the club and wish them well’ line from Jambo, raised more questions than answers.
Nkomo revealed that claims that Jambo has decided to hang up his boots came as a surprise to his camp.
“Jimmy, just like I, was surprised to read that he has decided to retire from football. The news came as there were talks between us and Kaizer Chiefs over his future at Nautrena or away from it.
“The boy has been shocked to such an extent that he has switched off his phone and I have decided to give him the space he needs.
“He has been struggling with a knee injury for the better part of two years and he needs to consult his family as well as doctors to map the way forward.
“At the moment a decision on whether he continues to play or not has not been reached in our camp,” said Nkomo.
Kaizer Chiefs, in response to questions sent by The Sunday Mail, hinted that the Jambo matter is far from being closed.
A member of the club’s communication department, Alpheus “Vina” Maphosa, claimed that answering the questions would be premature.
“The questions are premature at this stage as the player is currently in negotiations with (the) club and is yet to make a final pronouncement in this regard,” reads the written response from Amakhosi.
However, soon after the announcement of Jambo’s “retirement”, Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung claimed the defender had struggled to prove his fitness at training.
“I can tell you right now that the one foreign space in the team is the one which has been opened by Jimmy Jambo who had to hang up his boots. He decided to focus on other things as we tried to give him a chance, but he could not handle it,” Motaung told a Press conference at Nautrena.
Meanwhile, there is a growing feeling that Kaizer Chiefs could have “rushed” into claiming that Jambo was calling it a day to free space for a foreign slot.
Clubs across the Limpopo are allowed to have five foreign players on their books.
The drama continues . . .
