Offers from USA and Zimbabwe – Source
THABANG REGOENG
Latest reports reaching Gazette Sport suggest that Argentine coach Rodolfo Zapata will step down as Gaborone United’s head coach after the completion of this season’s Mascom Top 8 campaign. According to close sources the Buenos Aires born coach has grown irritated at pending payment of player’s salaries and his family’s welfare since the current campaign started.
“I am 99 percent sure that Zapata will be leaving us depending on when GU will finish in the Mascom Top 8. He feels he does not have much to do in Botswana. One of his missions after taking over from Dragojlo Stanojlovic was to promote and support first team players like Karabo Phiri, Obonye Maome and Tumisang Orebonye. The club now has to compete with teams like Orapa United, Township Rollers and Jwaneng Galaxy which is a difficult task given the club’s bad financial state,” said a source within the club.
By their own lofty standards, Moyagolele’s start to this campaign has been poor accumulating 13 points in their first opening nine games of the BTC Premiership. Talk of a potential league and cup double has been derailed within the club hierarchy given the glaring 12 point gap between themselves and league leaders Township Rollers.
This publication has been informed that since arriving from his homeland prior to the start of the current season, Zapata has been residing in Oasis Motel in Tlokweng for the past three months, something which has reportedly not pleased his family. The source stated that Zapata has long approached the club’s management on dealing with the issues, however, nothing good has come out of the regular meetings.
Moreover, the South American coach is said to be tempted by lucrative offers from the United States of America (USA) and Zimbabwe Premier League teams.
This is not the first time the Argentine coach has been linked with a team away from the Reds, after publicly stating he was taking up coaching development clinics in USA earlier in June. Surprisingly, the outspoken coach went on to sign a two year extension at the club, a move which was applauded by United supporters.
Fast forward five months, the former Mpumalanga Black Aces coach’s future at United is again in the dark despite the contract extension. Reached for comment, the club’s spokesperson Lepholetha ‘City’ Senne admitted that the club has been working hard to solve the coach’s accommodation issue and brushed off reports of international offers.
“Yes, the coach has been staying at Oasis Motel for some time now, but we have finally found an alternative accommodation so he will be moving out next week. We have not had any contact with Zimbabwean and USA teams on the availability of the coach, unless he is hiding it from the Executive Committee. He recently extended his contract with us so we expect him to honour it unless something comes up,” Senne explained. It appears the Moyagoleele board and the fans are split on the immediate future of Zapata if reports reaching this reporter are anything to go by.