Ngezi Platinum FC have finally confirmed the dismissal of former Jomo Cosmos and Manchester City striker Benjani Mwaruwari as the Zimbabwe Castle Lager Premier Soccer League club’s coach.
A statement released on the club’s social media page says they gambled on handing Mwaruwari his first-ever head coach job and results were not forthcoming.
“This was Benjani’s first coaching assignment and both the club and the coach agree that it did not deliver the expected results hence the decision to separate was in the best interest of the club,” Ngezi say.
The club has since appointed Takesure Chirangwi to steady the ship as an interim coach and will be assisted by Kifton Kadurira.
The 43-year-old was axed on Monday alongside his backroom team comprising first assistant coach Bongani Mafu, second assistant coach Takesure Chiragwi, barely four months on the job.
The 2001 PSL Player of the Season was hired at the end of March this year to step in the shoes of coach Rodwell Dlakama who had parted ways with the team.
Platinum management have made the decision due to the team’s dip in form, Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Yahah at National Sports Stadium in Harare proving to be the last straw for the ex-Wits player.
Mwaruwari managed a poor 13 percent winning rate with Platinum thereby ending remote dream of winning the league title.
The Uefa A-Licence holder managed just three wins, six draw and the rest defeats in 13 games in charge of the club which has been winless in the last four matches on the bounce.
It was the former Warriors frontman’s first head coach job after having previously served as the national team’s assistant trainer in 2021.
The Mhondoro-based club have been sliding down the log table and lie ninth with 30 points from 22 games, 17 points behind leaders FC Platinum.
He had a successful career at Cosmos, scoring 20 goals in 45 appearances until 2001 when he clinched a dream move to FC Grasshoppers in Switzerland to kick-start a richly-rewarding adventure that was to take him to French Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre in 2002.
A move to England followed with Portsmouth being the next port of call in 2006, playing for them for two seasons before signing for City in 2008 on a two-year contract.
He wound up his career at Blackburn Rovers, Portsmouth again then returned to South Africa for one last dance with Shibobo at Chippa United and Wits before calling it quits in 2014.
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