Fathi had been engaged by the Bulawayo giants on the understanding that he possessed the highly-regarded qualification.
But the latest revelation might bring yet another twist to a court ruling which was released some two months ago that ordered Bosso to pay Fathi US$32 000 for outstanding salaries, allowances and other benefits.
There are high chances that Bulawayo giants Highlanders who have been struggling to pay their former head coach might breathe a sigh of relief after it was discovered that the Egyptian coach does not possess the credentials that he claimed to have.
Analysts say Highlanders can possibly sue Fathi for fraud under Zimbabwean law.
Precedents abound of people who have worked both in the private and public sectors on the basis of bogus qualifications, or non-existence thereof, who have been convicted of fraud.
Highlanders chairman Themba Ndlela said the club executive were going to sit down and discuss the matter and see if they can take any legal action against their former coach.
“As of now we cannot say much, we have to deliberate on this issue as an executive and see what action to take. If it means suing him, then we would have agreed as an executive after the deliberations,” Ndlela said.
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It has been discovered that Fathi could have lied to Highlanders that he is a holder of a Uefa (B) Licence, which he purported to have obtained in England in 2006 together with a Bachelor’s Degree in Football.
The Football Association in England has said his name did not exist in their database.Fathi and Bosso are not the best of friends after the former took Bosso to court after the club had failed to pay him his dues at the time of his resignation.
The Egyptian is embroiled in a legal battle with the Bulawayo giants and claims he is owed US$32 000 in unpaid salaries, bonuses, allowances and other benefits.
Fathi had signed a lucrative contract with Bosso, which also entitled him to 10% of every cup or tournament prize money that Bosso would have won until the end of his contract.
Fathi sat in Bulawayo while Mkhuphali Masuku and his troops sweated in Harare in the finals of the Zaoga Challenge Trophy which Bosso lost to DeMbare with a solitary goal.
For a second place finish Highlanders pocketed US$15 000 and that meant another US$1 500 added into Fathi’s coffers.
Fathi must be thanking his gods and advisers for helping him sign such a sweet contract with the Bulawayo giants in September 2009.But how did Fathi find his way to Bosso’s technical bench?
It was the chairman himself Ndlela who personally drove to Zambia to clinch the deal.
Our sister paper The Zimbabwe Independent did a story on how Fathi was fired for incompetency in Zambia where he had coached two clubs, but the Bosso family took a case against the publication to the extent of not giving them interviews.
His coaching history goes back to Zambia where he coached Kabwe Warriors in 2008 before moving to Power Dynamos where he did not stay for long and then found himself in Zimbabwe.
Despite insisting that he held the high qualifications, Fathi is said to have continued to give excuses that he had forgotten the papers in Egypt when Bosso asked for the papers.
“He went to Egypt after the end of the 2009 soccer season after he guided Highlanders to a fourth place finish; he went again during the World Cup break but he continued to say he forgot the papers in Egypt. This can only mean that he does not have the qualifications that he claims to have,” a Highlanders executive member said.
Highlanders Football Club secretary Andrew Tapela said he was not at liberty to comment on any issues that involved Fathi because a number of these cases were before the courts but went on to say that media was doing the right thing to unmask all the pretenders.
Contacted for comment both Kabwe Warriors and Power Dynamos were not in a position to ascertain whether Fathi had the Uefa (B) Licence.
