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Grace Chingoma-Senior Sports Reporter

YADAH Stars, who have been operating without a head coach since the departure of Genesis Mangombe, are set to appoint their head coach today. 

The Castle Lager Premiership football side have been training under the guidance of their junior coaches who also serve as assistant coaches. 

Former Dynamos defenders Sam Mutenheri and Trymore Mtisi; and former Monomotapa midfielder Brian Mapfumo are currently training the team that began their pre-season training early last month.

The club have already appointed a goalkeepers coach’ — Chris Ndonya. 

Yadah overseer Admire Mango said they expect to move a gear up with their pre-season training as well as make a few additions once the club unveils their new coach. 

“We will appoint the coach this week as you know our coach left for Dynamos. We did interviews with six candidates and we will select one from those candidates. 

“We have already appointed our goalkeepers’ coach. From our technical team, we only lost our head coach. Our coaches who are in charge of our junior teams also serve as the assistants’ coaches for the senior team and they are training the team,” said Mango. 

Yadah have lost midfielder Kuda Mangami who has joined the Premiership newboys Simba Bhora. They have also loaned out Alfred Manenji to the Shamva outfit and Tanaka Shandirwa to Dynamos. 

Mango says the new coach will make necessary changes to the technical team if he deems it necessary. 

“We have players who are coming for trials but since we don’t have the head coach yet, he will make some additions,” he said.

Interestingly, the club’s exciting winger Vincent “Apostle” Sango is on the radar of top local clubs. But the player, who has his own church in Mabvuku, has refused the offers. 

Sango feels at home playing at Yadah which is also a Christian club while at the same time concentrating on his own ministry. 

Mango says they picked the winger from oblivion and convinced him to play football.

“There have been inquiries on Vincent from clubs like Chicken Inn and Manica Diamonds. But he is an apostle and has got his own church. He feels at home with Yadah. His values match our Christian values. He had a negative perception of playing football since he believed that football is associated with ‘juju.’ So he has refused offers from other clubs and wants to continue playing his football at our club,” said Mango. 

The Yadah overseer said they don’t stand in the way of the players who want to move. 

And at the same time, they don’t believe in signing big names for the modest club.

“We don’t stand in the way of a player if he wants to move. (Club owner) Prophet Walter Magaya’s purpose is to give an opportunity to the less privileged people and that is why we don’t believe in big names. The Prophet wants to make a change in people’s lives and believes anyone with talent must be given an opportunity. Remember back then Prophet Magaya used to play football but he failed to get a chance and a breakthrough. So his aim is to empower the marginalised players. Clive Mandiveyi is currently one of the best defenders in the league but before he joined the club he was virtually unknown,” said Mango. 

Last year, the club missed the relegation battle by a margin when they finished in 14th position, two points above Harare City.

They had a decent season last year but draws affected them. 

Mango says this season they don’t want to crumble but cement their position in the league. 

“As a club, we have been in the league for some time and have shown that we are no pushovers. We want to cement our position. We want to fight for a top-eight finish. We are glad that as a Christian club, we have managed to dispel the myth that it is not only “juju” that makes football tick. 

We have managed to prove that through God that matches can also be won,” said Mango.