The Sunday Mail
Makomborero Mutimukulu – Acting Sports Editor
IT’S difficult to identify Twine Phiri as the man who nearly walked away from Caps United amid steroids of vitriol from the club’s fans late last season.
The Makepekepe president strongly contemplated walking away from a project he has invested a lot in as his team’s championship charge imploded under the weight of empty coffers.
Phiri was accused of stifling the Green Machine and amid such savage attacks the man felt he was five miles to empty.
A decision had to be made.
“I have done a lot for Zimbabwean football, but I get the feeling that people don’t appreciate what I have done because all that is written is the negative stuff and I feel it’s unfair,” the Caps United majority shareholder was quoted as saying in September last year.
“I have been wondering in recent days whether it is worth it to continue working in an environment where my name continues to be dragged into the mud every day.
“I feel it is probably better for me to step aside, to leave this game, because maybe this is the only way that I can save my reputation from being hammered left, right and centre.”
Clearly, Twine was in pain.
However, heart-to-heart chats with close friends saw the Caps United boss having a re-think about several things.
First, he decided against walking away.
Second, he appreciated, finally, that he cannot do it all alone. He needed a team, a strong team.
Third, and maybe more importantly, he reached out to erstwhile partner Farai Jere and became a man of his word.
As Phiri underwent transformation, his Caps United punched on with empty tummies and finished the season on fourth position, just seven points shy of league champions Dynamos.
Those seven points, it can be argued, was the cost of the bonus wrangles that rocked the Makepekepe camp for most of 2014.
A lot has happened this off-season.
Players such as Tafadzwa Dube, Tendai Samanja and Tapuwa Khumbuyani fled the House of Hunger, while coach Taurai Mangwiro called it a day.
It is also during this off-season that one Tichafa Matambanadzo came through with a proposal that appears to have breathed life into the Green Machine.
“Twine and I have come a long way and he was the first person I thought of when Zing showed interest in this deal,” disclosed the man who swags it out as Tich Mataz at the official launch of Makepekepe’s sponsorship deal with South African company Zing in Harare on Friday evening.
Zing have undertaken to take care of Caps United’s tab for the 2015 season, a pledge that can see them pumping well over $1 million into the club.
Although both Zing and Caps United officials could not be drawn into talking numbers, revelations by Makepekepe that their payroll budget is $ 400 000 for the forthcoming season gives some pointers.
Apart from the salaries, Zing will cater for camping, travelling and winning bonuses.
If that doesn’t chew a million Benjamin Franklins, then nothing will ever do.
With Zing on board, Phiri is breathing easier.
“This is a relief,” he said in an interview after the launch.
Have you sold the club because some details of this deal don’t just add up?
“Yes, we haven’t given you guys (media) all the details, but, no, we haven’t sold Caps United. The owners of Caps United remain myself and Farai (Jere).
“People should desist from the tendency of looking for negatives in everything they see.
“What we are doing is that these guys have taken over the business management side of the club, but it still remains very much our baby.
“The structure of the deal is such that we don’t want to be handling money as it will end up with accusations of misappropriation of funds.
“These guys will bring experts that will work with our chief executive Joe (Makuvire). These will identify the club’s cost centres and disburse funds as and when required.
“People should learn to differentiate between a good sponsorship deal and a buy-out. What we have here is a brilliant sponsorship deal, not elbowing out of the club owners.
“I have been in football long enough to be able to see a good deal, and this is one good deal.”
