Mapeza undergoes surgery:
CHAMPIONS FC Platinum have rubbished reports that coach Norman Mapeza has quit the club, but revealed that the history-making gaffer underwent surgery in Harare yesterday and could be out for a number of months.
Mapeza will take about six months to recover as he needs physiotherapy sessions.
The coach, who ended the dominance of Harare and Bulawayo clubs in the championship when he led the Zvishavane miners to their maiden league title, apparently sacrificed his health by taking charge of the club’s Champions League commitments.
His doctors had advised him he needed to rest, covering the time of the Champions League matches, after he was injured in a freak gym incident.
Yesterday, there were reports that Mapeza, who initially was said to be on the verge of being fired by FC Platinum, had quit the club.
He is the second high-profile coach who has been falsely reported to be leaving his job after reports also emerged recently that Sunday “Mhofu’’ Chidzambwa would be leaving the Warriors for a foreign club.
ZIFA were said to have engaged a foreign coach to replace Chidzambwa, but both the organisation and the coach dismissed the speculation.
Yesterday, FC Platinum president George Mawere was forced to clear the air.
“FC Platinum notes with concern false reports circulating in the media to the effect that Norman Mapeza, who is currently the FC Platinum head coach, has resigned,’’ said Mawere in a statement.
“FC Platinum wishes to advise the public that Norman Mapeza is currently on sick leave.
“It is our hope that he will return to work fully recovered as we prepare to defend our historic Premier League title in the 2018 football season.
“As FC Platinum, our employees’ health and safety remains a top priority and we pledge to give Norman Mapeza all the necessary support to ensure that he quickly recovers.
“Meanwhile, Lizwe Sweswe will act as the head coach in his absence. The entire FC Platinum family wishes Norman Mapeza a quick recovery.’’
Apparently, the statement was released just as Mapeza was undergoing surgery at a Harare hospital.
Mapeza has been struggling with a back injury for sometime following a gym mishap in January and is expected to be out for a while recovering from a back surgical treatment.
This forced the coach to sit on a cooler box during his team’s Champions League match against their Angolan counterparts at Mandava because of the pain he suffered whenever he sat on the bench.
The picture, though, saw him being mocked on social media.
The coach aggravated his back injury while demonstrating a workout procedure in the gym to his players during their pre-season training in Bulawayo ahead of the African Safari.
The former Warriors gaffer’s men slumped to back-to-back defeats at the hands of Angolan side Desportivo Primero de Agosto 1-5 on aggregate.
FC Platinum spokesperson Chido Chizondo said it was unfortunate that a lot of gossip was now being passed into the mainstream media.
“It’s sad that there is a lot of gossip that is now being presented as facts and, for the record, Norman is still our coach and we have not talked about ending our relationship, which we believe has been very successfully as shown by our winning the league championship last year,’’ said Chizondo.
“Norman could have possibly dealt with his injury by resting when it was first detected, but he is someone who is very passionate about his job and didn’t want to miss the Champions League.
“He continued working and when he went for consultations, that is when he was told that the only way to deal with the injury now was through surgery and as I speak to you, he is in the theatre undergoing surgery in Harare right now.
“We are a club that always engages all our partners, including the media, in telling them of any developments that would have occurred and we will continue doing that.
“For the record, Norman Mapeza remains the head coach at FC Platinum and nothing has changed right now and he hasn’t resigned.’’
Meanwhile, Sweswe starts leading the miners’ dugout today when his charges play in an invitational Roy Mazingi Memorial Tournament at Mandava.