26 Jan 2014

Orapa United recently parted ways with their coach, Dominic Changwe following a sequence of poor results in the be Mobile Premier League.

Changwe, a Zambian national, was coach at Francistown-based club, Tafic, before joining Orapa United. Orapa, on their maiden season in the elite leagues, started the season on a positive note, registering three points at home against Uniao Flamingo Santos .

The sacking of the coach came at a time when it appeared like the Ostriches, as the team is affectionately known, had lost steam as they continued to suffer defeat after defeat.

The team enjoyed a position among the top eight for the entire half of the season only to lose momentum and started giving away points. Badisa Laolang, the team’s public relations officer, of the team, said reasons for parting with Changwe were contractual issues that could not be released to the news media.

Laolang said the team had roped in Nchime Modise as caretaker coach for the remaining games of the season. Modise was the assistant coach to Changwe.

Modise had been with the team as head coach since its birth three seasons ago when it was at first division after it was formed by merging five teams based in Orapa.

He said after the team was promoted to the premier league, Modise was relegated to assistant coach because he did not qualify to coach in the elite league as he did not have a C license -- the minimum qualification required.

He said Orapa United intended to develop Modise and he recently acquired a C licence. He was there when it all started and even helped the team within two seasons to gain promotion to the highest league in the country, he said.

Besides a string of losses, Laolang said the team was on a mending process and would soon be back to its glory days. The aim was to finish among the top eight. Orapa United beefed up its squad by registering six players during the current transfer window.

The new signings are Hendrick Moyo (striker) and Omphemetse Molapo (defender) from BMC; Fire Masule from Kazungula Defenders; William Kupera, an attacking midfielder from log leaders Township Rollers; Mondia Makokwa, a striker from Warriors FC in Zambia; and Gofamodimo Kobe.  ENDS