By OnSport Reporter
IN football, coaches are normally fired for failing to deliver on the pitch but a ZIFA Southern Region Soccer League side has let go of its gaffer and manager in a row over poop.
Talen Vision FC has fired its head coach, Kudzayi Mhandire and team manager Simon Njeleza over a bizarre incident where faeces were found in a bathtub at the club’s compound.
The bathtub is usually used by the coaches and other senior officials was found soiled during camp on 23 October as they prepared for their game.
According to a source at the club, the crisis erupted early in the morning when a senior player alerted the technical officials that a toilet had been “messed up.”
It was soon discovered the offending material was smeared inside a team bathtub.
In an effort to keep the incident amongst themselves, Mhandire is said to have ordered a clean-up to ensure the “smell” doesn’t reach the club’s hierarchy.
After the clean up, the coaches confronted players, who all denied involvement, before the team proceeded with its morning departure without reporting the incident to senior management.
However, when the club’s top officials including president, Khumbulani Nkomo heard the story, internal investigations were instituted leading to the temporary suspension of Mhandire and team manager, Simon Njeleza.
In an exclusive interview, club chairman Elton Sinyosi, confirmed the exit of the two senior figures following an internal investigation into the incident.
“The club has amicably separated with coach Mhandire and manager Njeleza. We agreed to go our separate ways because of the issue,” he said.
Sinyosi said as the leaders entrusted with the team’s welfare, Mhandire and Njeleza were obligated to report the incident directly to club management.
“The issue was not the incident itself, but the handling of it. For them to cover up the issue is not acceptable.”
“They had to report all the events to the management rather than leaving in the morning without informing anyone about such an incident.”
“The culprit will eventually be brought to the book. We are a professionally run club and there are standard procedures that have to be followed and as Talen Vision we uphold such,” Sinyosi said.
Contacted for comment, Mhandire said as far as he was concerned he is under suspension and his contract is still running.
Assistant coaches Loverty Mabunda and Junior Takavarasha, who had also been suspended, have been reinstated and returned to the bench.
CLEAN-UP ON AISLE FIVE! Talen Vision flushes coach and manager over ‘dirty’ bathtub protest
