Africa-Press – Eswatini. Manzini Wanderers reportedly owe former Coach Mpendulo Mawelela over E40 000 in salaries, dating back to last season.
The publication reported yesterday that the former Hub giants left the club along with goalkeeper coach Bongani Dladla. According to reports, Wanderers are set to unveil former Moneni Pirates Head Coach Ikabort Masocha and Physical Trainer Percy Shongwe, who will boost the Nyanga ‘Crooks’ Hlophe-led team. However, new developments have emerged, according to a source within the Wanderers camp.
The source revealed to this publication yesterday afternoon that Mawelela was owed salaries after signing a three-year renewable contract with the club. The contract was set to be reviewed after May in each of the three years. “Wanderers owe Mawelela a substantial amount of money, estimated to be over E40 000. The club has reportedly asked Mawelela to accept payment for three months’ rent, while he looks for another job. However, the coach has been told that the club does not have the funds to pay the full amount owed to him,” said the source said.
Owed
When interviewed by the publication, the former ‘Weslians’ coach affirmed that he was owed money from his contract. “Yes, it’s true that the club owes me a substantial sum, which I need to calculate, based on the time I’ve spent there since joining last season in October. I want to make it clear that I’m not fighting the club, and I will never do so. Manzini Wanderers is a team that I love and respect deeply. However, I also have a family to support and care for, and I need to provide for them, especially during the holiday season,” he said.
The former Milling Hot Spurs gaffer went on to ask where the club was going to get the money to hire new coaches if they had no money.
“I’m surprised that the club has claimed they cannot pay me my owed money, while simultaneously negotiating with other coaches to join the team. If they say they don’t have money, how will they pay these new coaches? I don’t want to cause a scene. I hope that the club will do the right thing and resolve this situation,” he added.
Surprised
The coach revealed that he was surprised to be fired from the club and be made a scapegoat, when he was not the problem. “I was caught off guard when the management called to inform me of their decision. Unfortunately, the problems at Wanderers run deep, and simply bringing in someone with more money may not solve the underlying issues. “As supporters only see the team on match day, they may not fully understand the challenges the team is faced with behind the scenes. While I prefer not to air their dirty laundry publicly, I must say that some things are better left unsaid. I have no desire to return to the team under the current management,” Mawelela shared.
The team Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Diana Johnson, known as Girlie, said she knew nothing about Mawelela’s salary claims. “I know nothing about it. It’s news to me,” she said briefly. Soccer teams like Wanderers can generate revenue for coach payments through sponsorship, ticket sales, merchandise sales, fundraising, community outreach and grants.
Unattended
Meanwhile, this publication reported in the past months that the hub giants had a huge bill that has gone unattended for months. Players and coaches were unpaid for almost the entire season. The wage bill at Wanderers was confirmed to be at E130 000 monthly. The hub giants, who struggled and had to fight relegation throughout the past season and eventually survived about three games before the MTN Premier League 2022/23 ended, lost their South African Director, Cedric Mashile Mathatha, early in the season, which resumed last October.
Adding up the months from last November to last month, E130 000 totals E910 000, nearly E1 million. It took the team’s officials, like their Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Governor, in Lawyer Bongani ‘Bhanyaza’ Mdluli, CEO and the management committee led by club legend Berger ‘Hotline’ Nxumalo, to save the club’s blushes, as they sacrificed from their own pockets and also got assistance from other parties to avoid relegation.
The new Wanderers technical team members will have their work cut out for them.
Wanderers are second from the bottom in the MTN Premier league, having amassed just six points out of 33.The stakes will be high when they face off against rivals Mbabane Highlanders at the Mavuso Sports Centre tomorrow.
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