WINDHOEK – The serial merry-go-round of football coaches in the domestic topflight football league, the MTC Premiership has claimed another victim before a single ball is kicked.
Just as recently as last week, former Tigers long serving assistant coach Oubaas “Boere” Mokwena, aka “Siwelewele” lashed out at the manner in which he was relieved from his coaching duties.
He accuses the club’s hierarchy of playing dirty tricks on him and vowed to sever all ties with the dethroned Namibian champions.
And just as the dust is about to settle following Mokwena’s much publicised outburst, another disgruntled football coach has come with guns blazing accusing his bosses of being economical with the truth.
Former Black Africa head coach Lucky Richter, aka “Bazooka”, has come out of his shell following the shock announcement that he has voluntarily relinquished his coaching duties at the Gemengde based outfit.
“I want to set the record straight, I did not resign as it was made out to be, I was fired – simple as that,” charges the retired Black Africa blue eyed boy, whose traditional fancy footwork used to dazzle the crowd during his playing days. New Era Sport has established through reliable sources that club honcho Ranga Haikali, was the mastermind behind Richter’s axing. It’s rumoured the Walvis-Bay born business mogul was determined to install his homeboy Paulus Shipanga, as successor for the departing Richter.
“I feel gravely betrayed by the club because I’ve sacrificed my entire youth for Black Africa as a player and ardent follower. It’s indeed an insult to my integrity and reputation as football coach,” fumes the man who guided the club to a 2nd place finish during the 2017/2018 MTC Premiership campaign.
The former dribbling wizard boasts a remarkable resume and has masterminded the National Olympic team’s historic 2-1 win over the star-studded Nigerian team, featuring star fullback Tayo Taiwo, at Windhoek’s Independence stadium in 1997.
“We were initially scheduled to start preseason on the first of August and upon my return to the club, I learnt that the chairman Scara Khaiseb, has tendered his resignation because of disagreement with club owner Ranga Haikali. Those close to the unfolding saga told me that Scara felt undermined by Haikali when he was instructed to replace Richter with Shipanga whom Haikali ostensibly referred to as his “homeboy”.
It’s also said that the deep pocketed BA honcho flexed his financial muscles, telling the departed chairman in no uncertain terms that failure to install his “homeboy” as head coach could result in catastrophic financial implications, threatening to tighten the purse strings.
In the meantime, New Era Sport has reliably established that Shipanga has already assumed coaching duties at the Katutura giants. Contacted for comment yesterday, Haikali said he was shocked to learn that Richter is now claiming to have been sucked by the club.
“He (Richter) resigned himself without the influence of the club’s leadership. In fact, the club’s executive had engaged him some weeks back and he made it clear to them that he no longer had intention of coaching the club any further, as he wanted to fully focus on his businesses. So as I said, I am shocked that he is now claiming to have been fired, while he in fact resigned willingly,” said Haikali.
On the rumoured appointment of Shipanga as new head coach, Haikali said: “It should be clear to everyone that I’m just the owner of Black Africa and not in charge of appointing coaches. We have the club’s executive committee which deals with such duties and other administrative issues, so there is no way I can appoint a coach over the head of the club’s executive committee.”