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Chunga exhausts Length of patience
By
Nkanyiso Moyo
AMBITIOUS
Premier League club Lengthens finally lost patience with Moses Chunga
on Tuesday, terminating his contract after last Saturday’s 3-1
drubbing by minnows Underhill.
Also shown the exit door was Shooting Stars coach, Patson Ndabambi, whose Independence Trophy winning heroics were not enough to save him. Stars lost 2-1 at home against league leaders Chapungu on Sunday.
Three losses and one draw in four matches, were enough to convince Lengthens directors to end Chunga’s dance with the club.
The Dynamos legend has failed to hit the highs he achieved as a player in his coaching career, and has been fired over poor results from every job he has held – from Hackney (Mhangura), Acardia United to CAPS United.
Lengthens spokesman George Munetsi said Chunga’s contract had “results-based”.
“That was the nature of the contract and the results have not been coming. We have already received some inquiries from a number of coaches and we hope to make a decision by next week,” Munetsi said, just a week after he launched a passionate defence of the coach.
Lengthens have put Elfigio Stabeni in charge on a care-taker basis.
Chunga’s last point, ironically, was in a 1-1 draw with Ndabambi’s Shooting Stars three weeks ago.
But losing to Monomotapa and Underhill was the final straw.
On Wednesday, Chunga refused to discuss his future plans, but added: “I am still in football.”
Since winning the Independence Trophy, Stars have been on the downturn, losing 3-0 to Sundowns, 3-1 to Motor Action and 2-1 to Chapungu last week and that did not sit well with club president Joel Sengeredo’s plans of another top four finish this year.
Ndabambi has been replaced by his former assistant, Mike Madzivanyika.
“It was good while it lasted,” the former Harare United coach said on Wednesday. “I will have to take a short break and see what happens next.”
CAPS United coach
Luke Masomere was spared the axe but two players Clarkson Dzimbiri
and Bernard Benesi have been ‘excluded’ from the team
pending some
disciplinary hearings.
His side has not three times in a row – 1-0 defeats to Highlanders and Masvingo before last Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Gunners.
Lengthens
under Moses Chunga
Masvingo United 1-2 Lengthens; Lengthens 0-0 Highlanders; Gunners
0-1 Lengthens; Lengthens 1 Shooting Stars 1; Monomotapa 3-2 Lengthens;
Underhill 3- 1 Lengthens
Shooting
Stars under Patson Ndabambi
Monomotapa 0-1 Shooting Stars; Shooting Stars 0-1 Kiglon; Underhill
1-2 Shooting Stars; Sundowns 3-0 Shooting Stars; Lengthens 1 Shooting
Stars 1; Shooting Stars 1-3 Motor Action; Shooting Stars 1- 2 Chapungu
CBZ Premier Soccer League Table (14 May 2008)
TEAM
|
Played |
Won |
Drew |
Lost |
G/F |
G/A |
Points |
|
| 1 | Chapungu | 7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
15 |
2 |
17 |
| 2 | Kiglon | 7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
10 |
6 |
14 |
| 3 | Motor Action | 7 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
10 |
7 |
13 |
| 4 | CAPS FC | 7 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
10 |
8 |
10 |
| 5 | Gunners | 6 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
9 |
6 |
10 |
| 6 | Highlanders | 5 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
7 |
2 |
9 |
| 7 | Njube Sundowns | 6 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
10 |
8 |
9 |
| 8 | CAPS United | 7 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
8 |
| 9 | Lengthens | 7 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
11 |
8 |
| 10 | Dynamos | 5 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
| 11 | Underhill | 7 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
9 |
14 |
7 |
| 12 | Shooting Stars | 7 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
11 |
7 |
| 13 | Monomotapa | 6 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
7 |
10 |
6 |
| 14 | Masvingo United | 6 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
8 |
5 |
| 15 | Eastern Lions | 6 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
| 16 | Lancashire Steel | 6 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
8 |
13 |
4 |
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