By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
RELEGATION threatened MTN-FAZ Super League side, Konkola Blades have sacked head coach Enos Silwimba after a spate of poor results while cash strapped FAZ Division One North side, Konkola Mine Police have parted ways with Dean Mwiinde on mutual understanding.
Blades secretary Kennedy Chota confirmed the firing of Silwimba in an interview yesterday and that assistant coach John Munkonje will take over in an interim capacity.
Chota said the performance of the Chililabombwe outfit had been uninspiring hence the move by the club to make changes on the technical bench in a bid to survive demotion.
Blades are hovering in relegation zone on 19 points from 20 games played so far and are occupying 13th place on the log.
“I can confirm that we have fired Silwimba from the technical bench because of poor results. The team’s performance has been pathetic and so we want to try a new approach so that we can survive relegation. We wish Silwimba well in his future endeavours,” Chota said.
Meanwhile, Mine Police secretary Kebby Hampango said the club has decided to part ways with Mwiinde barely three months after joining the Chililabombwe outfit.
Hampango said in a separate interview that since Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) withdrew its sponsorship in February this year, the club has faced serious financial challenges in its operations.
He said the club has failed to raise funds to finance the salary of Mwiinde prompting the two parties to part ways on future agreement.
“The parting ways with coach Mwiinde has nothing to do with the team’s performance and we would have loved him to continue but we have failed to raise money for his salary. When he was engaged on May 10, 2015, we thought things could be better but it has been hard and we have failed to maintain him,” Hampango said.
He said the supporters committee and a few sympathisers have been helping the club to meet some of its costs but that the expenses outstripped the income.