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Dembare fire Silva

by Robson Sharuko and Eddie Chikamhi
13 May 2016 at 06:51hrs | Views
A SHORT but stormy marriage between Dynamos and Paulo Jorge Silva finally came to an end yesterday when the Dembare leadership decided to terminate the clueless Portuguese coach's contract just five months into the biggest job in the domestic Premiership. And, as if on cue, another prominent football club whose identity is encrypted in the blue-and-white colours that DeMbare call their identity, English Premiership side Everton, also announced the end of their relationship with coach Roberto Martinez.

Martinez finally paid the price for his team's poor run, which included a 0-3 thrashing in their last match against Sunderland, and a run of just one win in their last 10 English Premier League matches, which left Everton with one of the worst home records in this year's championship.

"Everton Football Club regrets to announce that Roberto Martinez has left his position as First Team Manager with immediate effect," the English Premiership side said on Twitter. "The chairman and the Board of Directors would like to place on record their thanks for the dedication and commitment Roberto has shown during his three seasons with the Club.

"Roberto has been a great ambassador for the Club, conducting himself, at all times, with the utmost integrity and dignity. "He secured the Club its highest ever Premier League points total, a place in the last 16 of the Europa League and appearances in both domestic cup semi-finals.

"He has also played a key role in the development of several young players, managing their progression to the Everton First Team and International honours." At least the Spaniard lasted much longer, completing about three years, in charge of the Toffees.

Portuguese gaffer Silva was not afforded such luxury after Dynamos stumbled from one poor result to another, including failing to win their two home league matches, which included a first defeat in the Harare Derby against bitter rivals Caps United in seven years. Silva, a surprise pick to be the Dynamos coach, was axed after the Glamour Boys struggled under his chaotic leadership.

Dynamos are yet to score a goal in their Rufaro fortress, which they call home, in their league matches this season after a goalless draw against Triangle and a 0-1 defeat against Caps United, of all teams, which ended their dominance over the Green Machine.

In sharp contrast, Caps United have scored six goals in their three home matches and, as it often does on the domestic football scene, it makes a huge difference.The DeMbare leadership announced yesterday that their relationship with Silva, which The Herald reported to have been strained beyond repair two weeks ago, had come to an end on the same day that Everton also confirmed they had sacked Martinez.

Silva has been living on the edge following a run of poor results and other off-field controversies and was shown the exit following a meeting held by the club's executive to review his first eight games as stipulated in the contract.

The games under appraisal included the five league matches played so far, where they have managed just five out of a possible 15 points, the Zimbabwe National Army Charities match against ZPC Kariba and the two Independence Cup clashes against Chicken Inn and FC Platinum, which they all lost.

DeMbare secretary-general Webster Chikengezha yesterday said the leadership was not happy with the direction the club was taking under the tutelage of the expatriate mentor and they had to invoke an exit clause in Silva's contract which states that employment "can be terminated when the executive feels that set targets may not be achieved."

His assistant Lloyd Mutasa was installed on an interim basis and will be in charge when the side host FC Platinum at Rufaro on Sunday. Goalkeepers' coach Gift Muzadzi also bounced back from suspension. The club will also seek to beef up the technical team with two more assistant coaches who should be appointed in the coming days.

Chikengezha said the decision to sack Silva was taken because results had not been coming as expected. "The executive committee held a meeting and decided to terminate Silva's contract. This decision was taken after looking at the results that the team has posted so far. It was generally agreed that we are not heading in the right direction.

"The results are not pleasing and we exercised the right to terminate his contract before we lose a lot of ground in the championship race. It is provided in his contract that there should be a review of the team's performance after every eight games, both league and cup competitions, and he admitted that he has not done well.

"So Lloyd Mutasa has been appointed to take over in the interim basis for the next five games and, thereafter, we will see how it goes," said Chikengezha.

Silva, who came from Nigeria where lasted only three months at COD United before leaving for unknown reasons, had penned a two-year deal with the Harare giants in December. His mandate was to win the league championship which the Glamour Boys lost to Chicken inn last season when they finished second under interim coach Tonderai Ndiraya.

Source - chronicle