Zimpapers Logo

Jonathan Mashingaidze

Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
MIGHTY Warriors fitness trainer Gerald Maguranyanga who was relieved of his duties by Zifa over the weekend, says his dismissal is a non-event and he will join the team in camp when they regroup for their next assignment.Maguranyanga believes the association has enough problems to deal with at the moment than to focus on a mere fight with him.

The fitness expert, who has worked with various national soccer teams in the past 16 years, tore into Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze on Friday for being a “pathological liar” and questioned his competency.

Touched by the conditions the Mighty Warriors were subjected to at Zifa Village, after their international match against Botswana a week ago, Maguranyanga became the second official to attack Mashingaidze in as many months.

Warriors coach Ian Gorowa was the first when he claimed Mashingaidze was a “habitual liar.”
Yesterday Maguranyanga reiterated his claims that Mashingaidze was a “professional liar” who needs help.

“I didn’t hide my name and I felt all that had to be said. I had to stand for the girls. It is on record that Mashingaidze is a liar,” said Maguranyanga.

“We have always known that Mashingaidze is a liar and there is no journalist, board member, player and coach who doesn’t know that the chief executive is a liar.

“What I simply said was to repeat what Ian (Gorowa) had said. He has worked with the chief executive for a very short time but has observed all that.

“I have known Mashingaidze for quite some time. He is passionate about football but those are not characteristics for a chief executive. A person has to perform.

“Being fired is not going to work for me. The next women’s camp I would be in camp to work with the players.”

Maguranyanga said he was appointed by the Zimbabwe Women’s Football leadership and they were the only ones who could fire him.
Yesterday, he revealed that even the road trip to Botswana last month for the first leg of the African Women Championship qualifier was badly organised.

“This all started when the team travelled to Botswana. It was a dangerous trip where one driver was assigned for the Harare to Gaborone trip.

“This was exposing the team to danger and by the time the driver was approaching Bulawayo he was already tired as he had got up very early anticipating that the team would leave Harare early.

“We were even supposed to sleep in the bus in Bulawayo but as fitness manager I refused to have players travelling for such an assignment sleep on the bus.

“I ran around using my contacts and co-ordinating with Mavis Gumbo, who was in Harare, and managed to secure accommodation at Holiday Inn. Yet it is the responsibility for the association to cater for the national teams.

“On our way back it was the same story and twice the bus veered off the road and one cannot really blame the driver. Some members of the technical team had to sit in front to keep him company and we understood he was tired.

“Upon arrival in Bulawayo I refused to have the team sleep in the bus and managed to secure accommodation at a local hotel in my name and right now there is a tab in my name and I am expected to settle that amount by month-end

“Even Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede, who had to run around in Bulawayo to process the papers for the passage of the bus at the Plumtree Border Post, was not amused and could not understand why the team would just leave the capital with a bus without proper documentation.”

The fitness trainer said the women’s national soccer team players were a motivated and enthusiastic lot who never complains but get a raw deal from the association.

“I become so hurt that these girls serving Zimbabwean football so well, who never complain, are treated like this by the association,” he said.