No end to Mukamba-Mutasa standoff

Sport
Harare football giants CAPS United finally granted striker Simba Nhivi his wish to leave the club after the two parties agreed on mutual termination of his contract on Friday.

Harare football giants CAPS United finally granted striker Simba Nhivi his wish to leave the club after the two parties agreed on mutual termination of his contract on Friday.

BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

The latest development is set to put struggling city rivals Dynamos on high alert as they are looking to make a few more additions to their squad before the transfer deadline on Tuesday.

Nhivi’s contract termination comes just seven months after he rejoined CAPS United following a failed mission at Singida in the Tanzanian Premier League.

He was Makepekepe’s second highest scorer this season with five goals, three behind John Zhuwawu, who is the club’s top scorer and joint second for the league’s golden boot.

Nhivi’s last goal for the Green Machine came back in April and it is the protracted dry patch that precipitated the fallout between the player and the technical team.

His agent Gibson Mahachi watered down reports that Dynamos were interested in the player.

“We only hear it in the papers that Dynamos are interested in Nhivi. As far as we are concerned, we don’t know where the player is going to play football next. It’s just not clear yet,” Mahachi told Standardsport.

“The problem is that he got released late in the mid-season transfer window and most clubs would have exhausted their quotas and basically opportunities are limited.

“Maybe something would have materialised by Monday (tomorrow), but at the moment there is nothing. All I can confirm is that a mutual termination of contract was agreed with CAPS United,” he added.

The player is believed to have been fancying a move back to Dynamos, who are racing against time to land a striker before the transfer window closes on Tuesday after failing to lure back Cameroonian striker Christian Joel Epoupa, who has since joined a Botswana club.

The 27-year-old striker has already had two stints at Dynamos in the past.

The new Dynamos executive headed by chairman Isiah Mupfumira had been frantically trying to talk Epoupa into making a return to the club he left in a huff following a signing-on fees and allowances impasse.

Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa has reiterated the need to fill the void left by the Cameroonian, but a suitable replacement is yet to be found.

“We have brought in Munashe Kaseke as a striker and we are looking for another one before the window closes,” Dynamos team manager Richard Chihoro said.

“As for Nhivi, we have not discussed about him, I don’t think he is even in the equation.”

The Glamour Boys have only added little-known striker Kaseke and former star midfielder Brett Amidu on loan from champions FC Platinum.