Lovemore Dube, [email protected]
CHICKEN Inn FC administrative manager Clemence ‘Naughty Flea’ Matawu is the new Warriors manager.
He replaces Wellington Mupandare who has been sidelined.
The Warriors leave for Botswana this morning for an international friendly with the Zebras to celebrate that country’s 66th Independence anniversary.
Matawu left Bulawayo for Harare yesterday morning with assistant coach Bongani Mafu to join the Warriors.
His club officials are ecstatic about the latest development which they view as an endorsement of their choice of a football administrator for Chicken Inn FC.
“We are excited as the executive as this is a vote of confidence in our football administration. We feel honoured to have our legend being recognised at this level of our football. Having worked with Matawu over the years as our captain then in the administration as administration manager and now acting general manager before his appointment to Zifa, we don’t doubt that he will deliver for the nation. We wish him all the success,” said Judah Tshuma the club chairman.
Club president and also Premier Soccer League vice chairman, Lifa Ncube said: “As a club we are very happy for the recognition that has been given to Clemence’s professionalism and dedication to his work. We are very confident he’ll thrive in this position,” said Ncube last night.
Zifa Normalisation Committee chairman, Lincoln Mutasa told Zimpapers Sports Hub yesterday that they had decided to appoint separate managers for each national team.
“We advertised for the coaches’ posts as well as the various technical department positions and we have started making the appointments having gone through the applications.
“As we mentioned earlier, we are changing from one overall general manager to having each team having its own manager,” said Mutasa.
Matawu is the man driving the Chicken Inn secretariat after a glowing career that earned him a Soccer Star of the Year accolade and four other appearances on the calendar. He also won the league titles with Chicken Inn and Motor Action a rare feat for a player who never played for the traditional Big Three Caps United, Dynamos and Highlanders FC.
He had a stint in Poland.
Matawu, a Sports Science Degree holder from the National University of Science and Technology, joins Baltemar Brito’s technical team and as a former footballer, he is expected to do better in terms of catering for the team’s welfare and have a football input from camping, food and travelling.
Matawu, one of the best players of his generation with Cephas Chimedza and Honour Gombami, was an inspirational star to many youngsters locally who took to the game in the last 15 years as he gave the sport great service with his flawless displays.
The Normalisation Committee’s Mutasa wrote to Chicken Inn on September 21 requesting for Matawu to come on board as manager until June 30 next year.
