Big Bullets coaches out of contracts as Emmanuel Zoya is released

Tom Sangala February 4, 2019

560 1 minute read

By Mphatso Malidadi:

TNM Super League champions Nyasa Big Bullets are technically without a coaching panel following the expiry of the technical officials’ contracts at the end of last season.

The development comes as Bullets are trying to seal a deal with Zimbabwean trainer Kallisto Pasuwa after impressing in his two-and-a-half-month deal.

At the time of signing the contract, Bullets had given the former Zimbabwe national football team coach the target of winning the league title, which he achieved.

For the entire duration of his contract, Pasuwa was being assisted by strikers’ trainer Heston Munthali and goalkeepers’ trainer Swadick Sanudi , whose contracts expired at the end of the 2018 season.

Team Manager James Chilapondwa is the only member of the technical panel whose contract is still running.

Bullets Chief Executive Officer, Fleetwood Haiya, confirmed the development and said the club is doing something about it.

“It is true that the coaches’ contracts expired. As for Pasuwa, we are still discussing. Once we finish with him, we will proceed to finalise [talks] with the other coaches. We hope to settle all this soon and unveil our coaching panel by February 14,” Haiya said.

Pasuwa was hired to replace Rodgers Yasini and Elia Kananji after Bullets slumped in form and failed to lift the Carlsberg and the Airtel Top 8 cups.

Meanwhile, Haiya has disclosed that defender Emmanuel Zoya has been released following the arrival of Precious Sambani from Namiwawa Stars via Be Forward Wanderers.

“Zoya was our best defender in 2017 but, in 2018, due to lack of game time, his performance was not satisfactory. With the arrival of Precious, we have decided to release him so that he enjoys game time elsewhere,” he said.

Social media has been awash with news that players such as Collen Nkhulambe, Kondwani Kumwenda and Davie Banda were among the group that had been released but Haiya described the reports as fake.

Despite the coaches being out of contract, Bullets have signed Sambani, Luke Chima and Ben Manyozo in the current transfer window.

Under normal circumstances, it is the coaching panel that recommends players to sign to club administrators.