The Voice (Francistown)
Monnakgotla Mojaki
1 April 2008
Francistown — With just less than 10 games to go, Gabane Uniao Flamengo Santos have sacked their Zimbabwean coach, Raphael Phiri.
The sacking of the Afro haired coach comes a few weeks after a senior player at the team allegedly told the coach that his tactics were costing the team. A communiqué from the club by the team's Public Relations Officer, Matthew Jabulane Mookodi, states that the club parted ways with the coach because of continued poor results.
"It is regrettable that a decision of this nature was taken more over in light of the positive results the coach churned out at the beginning of his tenure. However, it has since transpired that he cannot motivate the players any further," reads the communiqué. Santos is currently second in the Mascom Premier league and has lost five games in a row since the beginning of the second round. But just what maybe the reason for the poor results?
A senior member of the team alleges that a former gaffer at the club, now BFA Vice President Technical, Sexton Kowa, is interfering with the team selection. Mookodi, however, dismissed that as untrue and just allegations leveled against Kowa.
"Kowa is dealing only with development and only attends Santos games to watch like any other person. He is not involved. He speaks to the players once in a while just to motivate them," Mookodi said in defence of Kowa, who quit the Santos job two seasons ago because of ill health.
When asked why they got rid of a coach who took them to greater heights, Mookodi explained that, "Initially our plan was to play just for survival but it changed along the way. The team was now falling down. The coach was now losing the grip. He couldn't motivate the boys anymore. It was now questionable to continue with him. He couldn't just motivate the boys anymore."
A few weeks ago, a Santos player was allegedly fined some money from his monthly wages because he doubted the coach's credibility and second round tactics. The player had complained and when asked why they fined the player and two weeks later fired the coach for almost the same reasons the players advanced, Mookodi said at that time, they had agreed to give the coach all the support. But there was no change in the performance of the team, thus making it difficult to continue supporting the coach.
This is not the first time that Santos has unexpectedly fired a coach. They gave Major David Bright the boot last season when everybody thought they had caught a big fish in him. They also fired him for what they called poor results. Last season, Clever Hunda came in to finish the league and did reasonably well and his marriage with the club came to an end rather pre-maturely as the team begun the Coke Cup games.
Mookodi states in the communiqué that the team has since hired former Jwaneng Comets mentor, Oris Radipotsane, who will only be appointed until the end of the season. Management will, in the meanwhile, be looking for a permanent coach for the coming 2008/2009 season.
Phiri is not the first coach to be dismissed this season; first, it was Tafic's Godfrey Tamirepi, Rollers fired Daniel Chico Nare, Gaborone United dismissed Luke Masomere, BMC recently parted ways with Cosmos Zulu with just three months into the job.
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