The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda – Sports Reporter
A STUNNED Caps United executive will meet this week as the search for Taurai Mangwiro’s replacement begins in earnest.
It also emerged last night that the club will have to replace the entire technical bench as Mangwiro’s assistants Mike “Micky Dread” Madzivanyika and goalkeepers’ coach Richard Tswatswa have also resigned.
Mangwiro tendered his resignation on Friday, one year into a three-year contract he signed at the beginning of the year with the financially crippled Makepekepe.
His deputy Madzivanyika and veteran keepers’ coach Tswatswa immediately followed suit, plunging the green half of the capital into a crisis.
Caps United spokesperson Joyce Kapota confirmed the departure of Madzivanyika and Tswatswa before telling this publication that the club’s board has scheduled an emergency meeting this week.
“This development caught us off-guard since the coach still had two years on his contract, so the club’s board will sit down next week (this week) to deliberate on the issue.
“So far nothing has been done after Mangwiro’s resignation and no names have been suggested as yet.
“I can also confirm that Mangwiro’s assistants have also quit,” said Kapota.
Mangwiro, who is now strongly linked with a move back home to Dynamos, had been under growing pressure from a section of Makepekepe fans, who always doubted his loyalty given his connections with DeMbare.
He nearly quit the club in September when this rowdy section of fans turned Rufaro into a war zone, demanding his head after United were held to a goalless draw by visiting How Mine.
Minutes of some of the meetings held by the Harare Chapter of the club’s supporters, which are in possession of this paper, also show that Mangwiro’s stay at Makepekepe was precarious.
“Chair not happy with the coach and also players for demanding money at the stadium. Supporters won’t tolerate a win against ZPC, which will give DeMbare the title. Promise violence,” reads part of minutes dated November 20, 2014.
Despite Mangwiro’s waning popularity in some Caps United circles, Kapota, however, heaped praise on the coach, who “is always welcome at his second home.”
“We would have loved Tau (Mangwiro) to stay and I would like to state that we parted ways amicably,” she said.
“We meet to part and part to meet, as they say, and Mangwiro will always be welcome back in future if he decides so.
“He is a brilliant coach who was doing wonders given the club’s circumstances. All we can say is ‘farewell Tau’.”
