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Sports Reporter

FORMER Black Rhinos Queens coach Thomas Chinyan’anya has been appointed as Chapungu head coach following the departure of gaffer Rodwell Dhlakama.

Dhlakama was relieved of his duties at the Castle Lager Premiership football club over the weekend after mutual consent with the club executive.

And Chinyan’anya, who was his assistant coach at the club, will take over the hot seat.

Chinyan’anya is one of the most successful women’s football coaches in the country having worked with a number of Mighty Warriors players at Black Rhinos Queens who have the highest number of league titles.

Yesterday, club chairman Fungai Makuyana said they have released Dhlakama.

“Dhlakama . . . we have relieved him of his duties at Chapungu. We did not fire him but he put up a request that he wanted to move on that’s when he was released. We had a meeting with him so he is back at work at Air Force of Zimbabwe and what will happen from there, I don’t know that is not my job, I am the chairman of the football club.

“We will have an executive meeting on Monday (today) to map the way forward on the technical team changes now that the head coach has left but the assistant coach (Chinyan’anya) takes over and after the meeting we will know who will work with Chinyan’anya in the meantime,” said Makuyana.

This development likely suggests that the former Monomotapa gaffer, who has emerged as the one of the front-runners for the Ngezi Platinum job, might be indeed headed for the Mhondoro outfit. However, the former Young Warriors coach can only move after he has been cleared by his employer Air Force of Zimbabwe. Air Force of Zimbabwe has a large pool of coaches who were attested and sometimes are given to other civilian clubs that would have requested for their services.

Tendai Chikuni, who was Erol Akbay assistant coach at Ngezi Platinum Stars before they were both fired last week, is an employee of the Air Force of Zimbabwe.

Other Air Force of Zimbabwe coaches are Ruzive Ruzive, who was once with Yadah and is now assistant coach at Black Rhinos as well as Philip Ruzive, who was TelOne goalkeepers’ coach before the new technical team headed by Rahman Gumbo came into place.

Chapungu media liaison officer Tawanda Zowa said they have a vibrant, open policy where they usually loan their coaches and players to other clubs to gain exposure.

“We have a large pool of coaches, so we have no problem loaning them to other clubs so that they continue to gain experience and exposure.

“Our policy is the same with the players, we loan them to other clubs and this motivates the players and they return as better players. Right now Allan Tavarwisa is playing in the CAF Confederation Cup with Triangle.