Home | Sports | HIGHLANDERS RETAIN SHANTUMBU AS TRAINER

HIGHLANDERS RETAIN SHANTUMBU AS TRAINER

10/07/2014 04:06:00 BY DUMISANI NTIWANE

Font size:

MBABANE – While the search for a new coach at Mbabane Highlanders continues, Zambian mentor George Shantumbu will be retained as a physical trainer.

Shantumbu arrived to join the resurgent black and white ensemble as an assistant coach to South African Basil Peterson almost midway through its campaign in the lower National First Division League last season.

However, the former Mbabane Swallows coach was barred from sitting on his team’s technical bench by the National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) Technical Director’s (TD) office.Team PRO, Sifiso Magagula assured the team’s faithful in an interview yesterday that Shantumbu, who is currently back home in Zambia, will return to assume his position.

“I have been made aware that following the TD’s office’s decision not to approve his papers, he went back home to try and sort it out. He must have been in class during the preseason and I have been made aware that he was sitting for one of the CAF Licences courses.

“What will happen is that we will retain him as a the trainer for now until the results of his exams are out and then we will take it from there. We are expecting him back in the country anytime next week or the week after,” said Magagula. This is Shantumbu’s second stint in the country as he was here in 2003, as Highlanders’ rivals Swallows coach.

With Swallows, he won the prestigious Centenary Celebrations trophy, aptly dubbed the Mayor’s Trophy. Ironically, the stunning third goal in Swallows 3-1 victory over Highlanders, which was played at the Prince of Wales Ground was scored by current Highlanders’ boss Bheki ‘Rubber’ Simelane, whose strike ensured Swallows were crowned ‘kings’ of the city until the next century.

The TD, Boy ‘Bizzah’ Mkhonta on the other hand could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press yesterday, as his mobile phone rang unanswered.