Crisis at Ngezi as legal debts threaten club's stability

Ngezi Platinum Stars, once hailed as one of Zimbabwe's most professionally run football clubs, is facing a deepening crisis that threatens its very foundation. Legal debts, staff departures, and stalled internal systems have put the club in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

At the centre of the storm are former coaches Bongani Mafu and Benjani Mwaruwari, who were awarded a combined US$800 000 by a FIFA tribunal-a decision later upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Despite these rulings, the club has yet to make any payments, leaving the coaches uncertain if they will ever see their entitlements.

The latest blow came with Ngezi's failure to comply with a binding US$196 750 award owed to Mafu under case CAS 2024/A/10880. The payment deadline passed on November 6, 2025, prompting FIFA to be asked to step in and enforce sanctions.

Adding to the turmoil, head coach Takesure Chiragwi departed, taking seven first-team players with him to CAPS United, raising fresh questions about the club's stability. Observers say this mass exodus underscores broader governance issues rather than just a coach recruiting familiar players.

Once regarded as a model of professionalism, Ngezi Platinum Stars' reputation has suffered since the 2023 dismissal of Mwaruwari and Mafu. The club's liabilities from arbitration losses now approach US$1 million, including US$196 750 plus interest to Mafu and US$570 000 to Mwaruwari, with legal fees and accruing interest potentially pushing the total even higher.

Legal experts and insiders suggest the club's troubles stem from procedural mistakes during the coaches' dismissals and submissions to CAS and FIFA. "These were winnable or settleable disputes. Procedural mistakes have cost the club hundreds of thousands. Head office abroad is unhappy," a junior official said anonymously.

Although publicly presented as a community football project, Ngezi operates within the social responsibility orbit of Zimplats Holdings Limited. A spokesperson for Ngezi Platinum emphasized that the club is independently governed, stating that Zimplats has no role in management or decision-making. She dismissed any suggestion that the club is facing dissolution.

Legal representatives for the affected coaches are holding firm. Ndaba Nyathi, representing Mafu, said, "I'm not at liberty to discuss hypotheticals or enforcement tactics at this stage. Coach Mafu's priority is resolution, not speculation." Both Mafu and Mwaruwari declined to comment directly.

With arbitration debts mounting and sanctions looming-including possible transfer bans and fines-the crisis at Ngezi Platinum Stars highlights the high stakes and vulnerabilities in Zimbabwean club football, where professionalism and governance can quickly be undermined by legal and procedural missteps.