Push comes to shove
Lilongwe-based TNM Super League giants Silver Strikers have given their five-member technical panel an ultimatum of two league games to win or risk having their contracts terminated.
While confirming the development yesterday, the club’s general secretary Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda added that the executive committee has also warned the technical panel against losing any game in the Carlsberg Cup and the Fisd Challenge Cup.
This comes after the team failed to win in their fourth consecutive league fixture on Saturday when they settled for a goalless draw against Blue Eagles in their first match of the second round.
In their last three games of the first round, they lost 1-2 to Azam Tigers and chalked one-all and goalless draws with Red Lions and Nyasa Big Bullets, respectively.
Silver last won a league match on July 15 when they narrowly beat Blue Eagles 1-0.
Currently, Silver are third on the 16-team Super League table with 33 points from 17 games, a point behind second-placed Be Forward Wanderers and nine points adrift leaders Big Bullets, who have played a game more.
Yesterday, Nyirenda said although the panel, comprising head coach Young Chimodzi, assistant coach Lovemore Fazili, team manager Francis Songo, assistant team manager Peter Mgangira and goalkeepers’ trainer Sibusiso Padambo, signed a two-year contract early this year, it was agreed the deal would be terminated “if we note poor performance along the way”.
“The contract is performance-based; it stipulates that the club has to win the league title and at least two cup competitions within a season,” he said.
“However, after going four league games in a row without a win, we believe it would be hard to win the title if we fail to register a win in our next two fixtures. This would effectively be a breach of contract.”
Chakaka-Nyirenda said the contract is pegged on a continuous assessment, whereby the technical panel can be fired after a series of poor results.
“The technical panel’s assessment is continuous. We cannot wait for the entire two years to decide their fate. When you see that your house is burning, there is no need to wait; you rush to put out the fire,” he said.
Chimodzi could not be reached for comment yesterday, but Fazili said he could not comment as he was yet to receive an official letter from the club’s authorities.
“I have to receive the letter first before I can give out the right response,” he said.
The Bankers, who have won the league eight times, are yet to take the league glory since 2014 when they retained it for the second time. Their only solace for the last four years was winning the Airtel Top 8 Cup last year.
