Despite winning two coaching accolades this year, none of them mattered at the end of the day as Zesco United decided to fire Fighton Simukonda after two and a half years at the helm.
Zesco chairman Kenneth Muteto said in a press statement Tuesday evening that the decision was reached during an executive committee meeting held this afternoon in Ndola.
“The executive committee of Zesco United today, July 26 met in Ndola today to address the team’s performance. The committee resolved to restructure the team as follows: Head coach Fighton Simukonda has been relieved of his duties as of Tuesday,” Muteto said.
July hasn’t been a good month for Simukonda after failing to conjure win in Zesco’s last four games in which they have collected just two points on the back of the coach collecting the 2010 Super Division and Barclays Cup coach of the year awards.
Simukonda’s record at Zesco saw him win the 2010 league and Barclays Cup plus making history in 2009 when he became the first Zambia coach to qualify a local team to a Caf club pool stage competition in the Caf Champions League.
Muteto said Simukonda will be replaced by his assistant Masautso Mwale who has served as Zesco number two for the last half a decade working under three coaches from Wesley Mondo, Wedson Nyirenda and Simukonda.
He said Mwale will serve in a caretaker capacity until the end of the season and his performance reviewed thereafter.
And the changes didn’t stop there with team Doctor Misheck Mutale also dismissed and six players including one of the last serving members of Zesco’s 2004 promotion team Yonah Mwango.
Mwango will go on loan together with striker Nicholas Zulu, Percy Kisonge, Mathew Chikwete, Arthur Kasoloki and Kunda Mushota.
“These changes are meant to help reinvigorate Zesco and retain the Super Division title,” Muteto said.
Zesco are currently 7th on the Super Division table on 21 points, nine points behind leader Red Arrows after 13 games played with two games in hand.
Meanwhile, the irony of it all is this Saturday, Zesco travels to struggling Kabwe Warriors who also made sweeping changes on the bench on Monday bringing in Dick Ngwenya and Happy Sichikolo to try and save their precarious season.
Why, It should happen.
That’s the problem of having the executive committee that is Chelsea supporters. They always behave like Ibrahimovic.
The name of the game “Football”!!!!!
Zeso and Kabwe warriors are behaving like Roman Abramovic..firing coaches at will. Try a foreign coach. Remember Jim Bonn Power Dynamoes coach their Power 90 era. He managed to win the Nelson Mandela cup for Zambia. Zesco has the money to do that. I think they expect too much from the local coaches. With Warriors, they seem not to know what they are doing.
chelsea wanna bes.this is the zed and not england
zesco wa wa
lets wait and see what happens.
Rubbish committees, give room to the coaches please. I think we need a union in this area.
Imwe Bantu. Roman demands results for the money he spends. After spending $50 million on Torres the bum has only scored 1 goal !! For this kind of money someone has to pay the price and it has to be the guy who todl him to spend and that’s the manager. Thats why he is a billioniare he demands results.
And has anyone noticed that its ALWAYS the coaches fault when a team doesnt perfom well but NEVER the executive committe’s fault? Its tym some of these commitees (particularly the one at Warriors) were held to account
#10 Chax. commitee members do not kick free kicks, penaltys , corner kicks stratergy of the the game it is the coach who is responsible for the teaching and selection of the team. If you want to hold the commitee for worriors playing 4-4-2 in this day and age you are lost. At the end of the day the coaches are responsible for the teams play.
ZESCO why? We always forget the past. The man has done a lot any way it is your decision. Let us also see executives being fired because in most cases they are the ROOT CAUSE of poor performance at most of the clubs. Good luck Fighton.
You think firing a coach is a solution? The coach is always right the problem is with you the committee and the players.You have lost a great man,you will cry for him just as like the pipo of luanshya do.Lets change the way we treat these coach.Mr Simukonda dont worry something great out there is waitin 4 you.
Leave Chelsea out of this ZESCO nonsense.Chelsea is bigger than zesco!
Roan United Forever!!!!! Anyway, for a big team as ZESCO, the changes are necessary!!! Simukonda become to confortable and I think patronizing players! I hope Chikwete, Kisonge, and Kasoloki all former Roan United Players get better loan deals, they are players for the future!~! Nichiolas Zulu and Kunda Mushota should retire, they are now old!
Sad for Simukonda. What sort of contracts do football coaches have in Zambia? it appears it is easier to fire a coach in football world over. How has Manchester United and Asernal managed to have one coach for such a long period of time. i just hope Simukonda will be compesated for premature termination of the contract.
It iz the prerogative right or wrong, of a club executive to hire/fire a coach, we can only speculate. Simukonda should be given to manage one of the National Teams with clear cut termz of reference and so called expatriate conditionz. He haz the credentialz to coach a national team.
Warriors have been coache in the recent past by coaches such as Mike Sithole, George Lwandamina, Levy Chabala, Tenant Chilumba, Muhamed Fathy and Manfred Chabinga, and they have all aparently ”failed.” The question is; are all these men bad tacticians or could there be another reason for the teams under perfomance? Has the so called executive comitee provided the necessary conditions for the coach to deliver? As for zesco, they have treated Simukonda harshly
# 15 Roan United For Life It is my hope and prayer that the former Roan United players who have been given the boot by Zesco are not loaned out to my childhood club. They should try Buseko or Mpatamatu United.
Anyway, Zesco has been in free fall most of this season and they needed to do something about it. He might havewon a lot of things in his career, but things were not just going right for him most of this season. The team is bigger than any coach, the change was necessary. Good luck to Mass!
Chelsea Chelsea Arsenal Arsenal Man U Man U they dont even know that you exist on earth. Just support your local teams there. I was suprised the other time when I found people in Ndola fighting over English Barclays premier league results. I am suprised. Support your local teams there otherwise you will just frustrate yourself for nothing. Ati Man U for life meanwhile they dont even know you in old trafford not even in Rusholme. napapa sana
Ba Zesco even team Doctor, are you normal guys.
I ONLY HOPE THE ISSUES OF CONTRACT SHOULD BE UPHELD OTHER THAN LEAVING SIMUKONDA AS A DESTITUTE
Target is to win every match, even those appointed if no win will come they will go. No holy cows in football.
Ba Yanoh Mwango kapoka, you have DEBTS cross to 50million from pipo,Pity for you now pipo will be after you. just go back to kasama that is where you belong. otherwise in ndola you will not make it.
Patience is what has brought success to big clubs like Man Utd.Do
iwe zimandola wilasenbanya town.wat has yona got top do with simukonda.
Too bad for the fired players. Football is a very short career, make an investment while you are on top of things. That way you will never end up a destitute. I mean real investment not investment in beer drinking and prostitutes. Wish you guys well.
Definetily Roan united wil get 4 out of da 6 players dat are on loan.Plus even other players that hve comed from various clubs.
zesco for life………………
good…zesco EC is at least ambitious and want someone to take them to the next level of the champions league…and the former coach is not the man..he has run out of ideas..good stúff… i hope FAZ learns something here..poor africa cup show..the coach must go no delays..already the chap is losing games his is not supposed to…like the east and central challenge cup… mess