Frustrated Mponda quits Surestream
Shocker! Internal wrangles have reached a boiling point at Surestream FC where technical director Peter Mponda has resigned.
The former Flames’ captain told The Nation yesterday that he is tired of some internal politics at the club and has decided to step down to protect his reputation.
“I am tired of officials who force me to do impossible things at the club. I am afraid that if I continue to stay in such an environment, my image and reputation will be completely destroyed because people associate everything that happens at Surestream FC with my name,” he said.
“Instead of focusing on what to do to make sure the team recuperates from the recent defeats, they are busy trying to frustrate me.”
Mponda said he has already e-mailed his resignation letter to the club’s chairperson Chris Pitman and he is just waiting for a response.
“I have sent the resignation letter to Chris [chairperson] because he is the one who employed me,” he said.
Pitman had not yet responded to our questionaire at press time. However, when asked about his comment yesterday, Surestream Petroleum’s general manager Keith Robinson said he was unaware of Mponda’s resignation.
“I have no idea of what you are talking about. I have not received any letter on that issue and I cannot comment on something I do not know about,” Robinson said.
According to Mponda, he was particularly put off by the interference of some ‘big-headed’ officials during their recent games against Blue Eagles and Big Bullets, which they lost 2-4 and 1-3 respectively.
The team, which also lost 0-1 to Be Forward Wanderers before drawing 2-2 with Red Lions last Sunday, anchors the 15-team log-table with a single point from four games.
Surestream FC made history by becoming the first outfit to make it into the Super League within two seasons of playing competitive football. They won Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) Division One title in 2013 and the Premier League glory the following year.
But Mponda said he is not quitting to run away from the embarrassment of the team’s poor results, but rather because he feels he is surrounded by people who are jealous of his achievements.
“I am surrounded by some people who do not wish me well; people who are unhappy to see a young man achieving success in a short period. There are also others who think they know technical issues when they are not part of the technical panel,” he said.
“All the same, I think I have done my part helping the team to reach this stage and it is time for others to take over. I no longer have passion and motivation to stay at Surestream.”
Among others, Mponda woks with the senior directly with the academy manager, administration manager and technical staff.
When asked where he will go after signing out of Surestream, Mponda said: “There are many people who have been frequently asking for my services. That is not a big deal.”
Mponda is seen as the face of Surestream FC.
