The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
PREMIERSHIP giants Dynamos have suspended coach Tonderai Ndiraya in a surprise move that could send shock waves among their multitude of supporters, given that the Harare side have got off to one of their best starts in a championship marathon.
It has also emerged the Glamour Boys might be considering wielding the axe on the former Warriors assistant coach.
The decision to suspend Ndiraya was reached following a Dynamos executive committee’s emergency meeting in Harare yesterday afternoon.
Club spokesperson Tinashe Farawo, however, declined to comment.
It is understood that the coach had also been surprised by the decision.
It is unclear how long the suspension would be.
Dynamos are sitting second on the Premiership standings and a point behind Chicken Inn.
“We write to advise all our stakeholders that our head coach, Tonderai Ndiraya, has been temporarily asked not to report for duty with immediate effect pursuant to a meeting that was held on May 12, 2022,” read a statement from Farawo.
“The club is not in a position to discuss details of this development until internal due process is finalised.”
Ndiraya’s assistants — Naison Muchekela and Gift “Umbro” Muzadzi — survived the chop.
They are likely to be in charge of the team’s training session at Prince Edward tomorrow.
The Sunday Mail Sport understands that Dynamos are moving close to sealing a deal with Ndiraya’s successor, who could take charge of DeMbare’s next match against Herentals.
Sources say a number of names are in the hat, including Kaitano Tembo, who was sacked by SuperSport United in April.
There has also been talk of a surprise move for Ngezi Platinum Stars coach Benjani Mwaruwari, who has done considerably well at the Mhondoro side.
Former Dynamos player Taurai Mangwiro, who is now in charge of Harare City, has similarly been linked with the DeMbare job.
The 44-year-old Ndiraya has presided over 15 league matches this season, garnering 30 out of a possible 45 points.
DeMbare were unbeaten in nine straight league matches until last Sunday when their match against Highlanders was abandoned with the Bulawayo giants leading 1-0.
They had played out a 1-1 draw against Bulawayo City at the National Sports Stadium the previous week.
The Sunday Mail Sport believes the gaffer’s alleged “arrogant” conduct was beginning to irk some executive members.
But there are some within the executive committee who feel the team’s performances in recent matches were a sign that Dynamos might fail to land the championship at the end of the season.
“He has been arrogant in his engagements with the executive. He has been dilly-dallying on signing a contract with the club. Apparently, he asked the executive to buy him players, but he now says he doesn’t want most of them,’’ sources close to the goings-on at Dynamos said.
Ndiraya has a 66,6 percent success rate this season, with an average of two points per game.
Strangely, he recently came under fire from some fans who accused him of imposing a boring style of play that is not easy on the eye.
On his part, the coach argued that he prefers results to sexy football.
Some DeMbare fans camped outside the National Sports Stadium and expressed their disappointment after the team’s 1-1 draw against Bulawayo City a fortnight ago.
Ndiraya was appointed for his second stint at Dynamos on April 24, 2019.
The former Ngezi Platinum Stars coach replaced Lloyd Chigowe, who had managed a single win in Dynamos’ opening four matches of the 2019 season.
He then guided DeMbare to 11th position on the final log standings, six points above the relegation zone.
Dynamos finished ninth in 2019.
This term, he had transformed the team into serious title contenders.
