Published: 11 May 2018

Big clubs are known to be "coach eaters" but the sacking of Lloyd Mutasa as Dynamos coach on Tuesday afternoon borders on pure hypocrisy and desperation by the Glamour Boys top brass.

Mutasa has been elevated to the post of director of coaching and will be responsible for "talent identification, scouting, junior team development and advising the coaching staff where necessary."

In all essence, this is purely a demotion by promotion, since Mutasa will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operations of the first team that is if he even accepts to remain at the club in this lesser role.

The former Dynamos midfielder has paid dearly for the team's disastrous start to the 2018 Castle Lager Premiership campaign in which Dynamos find themselves in 12th position on the log with nine points from 10 matches.

During that run, the Glamour Boys have only been able to wins two, draw three and lose five matches which leave them with a huge task if they are to win the title.

Of course Dynamos are the country's biggest and most successful football club with 21 domestic titles to go with various numerous cup competitions they have in their trophy cabinet.

Winning is part of the club's DNA and everyone associated with the club had every right to be concerned with the poor start to this campaign.

However, sacking or kicking Mutasa upstairs was not the solution to DeMbare's problems considering everything that has transpired at the club in recent months.

DeMbare did not have a proper pre-season as Mutasa's programme was interrupted by a strike by the club's senior players.

The industrial action by the players lasted for about two weeks leaving Mutasa to work with a depleted squad made up of fringe and young players.

It was not the coach's fault that the club had failed to pay the senior players' outstanding salaries, winning bonuses and signing-on fees from last year.

Star forward Christian Ntouba, who was the club's top goal scorer last season, ended up refusing to feature in any of the club's matches before terminating his contract.

The Denver Mukamba saga was another sideshow which distracted the DeMbare pre-season preparations as well.

Mutasa made it clear that the midfielder was not part of his plans due to his poor discipline record.

However, the DeMbare leadership tried to impose Mukamba on Mutasa even after the coach had made his position public.

Preparations and results are directly linked in sports and it was no surprise to see DeMbare fail to win in their first six matches judging by the way their pre-season had shaped up.

Surprisingly, it is those same executive members led by president Kenni Mubaiwa that failed to pay the players on time that have now wielded the axe on Mutasa.

Even the hugely demanding fans sympathised with the coach when results were not coming on the pitch.

The fans realised that DeMbare's problems run deeper than Mutasa and the playing squad.

Mubaiwa and company were unable to keep Ntouba, Tichaona Chipunza and Masimba Mambare, who were all part of the squad that finished in second place last season.

Biggie Zuze, who has been handed temporary reigns, will be confronted with the same problems that Mutasa faced.

DeMbare should not continue living in the past thinking they are still the all-conquering side that dominated every decade of local of local football since their formation in 1963.

In the last 10 years, the club has won the title on four consecutive occasions during the Kalisto Pasuwa's reign between 2011 and 2014.

While DeMbare have been glued to the past, other clubs – Chicken Inn and FC Platinum – have stepped up their game to be counted among the emerging giants of the local game.

Current log leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars only have one goal on their agenda and that is to change the landscape of Zimbabwe football.
- dailynews

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