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The Sables

Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
Young Sables technical director Brighton Chivandire is strongly tipped to land the Sables team manager’s job and is expected to take over the post left vacant by Losson Mtongwiza by end of this week.

Chivandire is amongst the five candidates who have applied for the Sables team manager’s post following the resignation of Mtongwiza on allegations of institutional racism in the sport in February.

Former Sables and Young Sables coach Chivandire, Prince Edward School sports director and Zimbabwe Under-17 assistant coach Sebastian Garikai, former Sables assistant team manager Tayambira Chakarisa, ZRU general manager Sifiso Made and one football administrator applied for the job.

According to Zimbabwe Rugby Union executive vice president Colleen de Jong, the interviews started yesterday evening and the final batch of candidates is expected to come before the interview committee today.

De Jong refused to shed light into the goings on and said they only have five candidates they are going to interview between yesterday and today, before naming the coach by end of week.

“I can not reveal the names of the persons who sit on the committee, nor can I give out the names of the persons who have applied for the post until the whole process is concluded.

“The interviewing committee will sit today (yesterday) and tomorrow
(today) and theirs is to come up with a shortlist, and make recommendations on who they feel should be appointed as the new team manager and by end of week we will have the new manager,” said de Jong.

However, sources revealed that the ZRU already have their shortlist and know who they want for the job as only two candidates in the form of Chivandire and Garikai have already been shortlisted for the job as the likes of Chakarisa have already been served with notices of regrets from the ZRU.

“This leaves Chivandire and Garikai running for the job but the ZRU are also looking for someone who not only can help with the team logistics and arrangements but someone who is technically aware of the trends in the game.

“Unwarranted behaviour and events at last year’s schools rugby festival might come in as a discrediting factor on Sebastian (Garikai) because that shows he did not have much control over his own events, leaving Chivandire who has been held several technical posts within the national teams as the man for the job,” said a source.