Former Jomo Cosmos and Manchester City striker Benjani Mwaruwari has been sacked as Ngezi Platinum coach in Zimbabwe following a string of uninspiring results, reports indicate.
The 43-year-old has been axed with his entire backroom team comprising first assistant coach Bongani Mafu, second assistant coach Takesure Chiragwi and team manager Tinashe Nengomasha, 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 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League 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.
Management for Platinum is expected to release an official statement confirming the dismissal of the former Warriors star whose coaching flirtation hasn’t been a successful as was the case with his playing career.
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.
The miners handed Mwaruwari his first head coaching job after a brief stint as national team assistant coach, but his team has struggled to get results.
Here’s how Ngezi performed under the tutelage of Mwaruwari:
Three wins
1-0 away to ZPC Kariba
4-0 at home against Tenax
3-0 at home to Bulawayo City
Six draws
1-1 against Chiefs
0-0 against Dynamos
1-1 against Black Rhinos
0-0 against Manica Diamonds
1-1 against Highlanders
2-2 Caps United
Three losses
0-1 to Harare City
0-1 to Whawha
0-3 to Herentals
0-1 to Yadah
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