Akbay linked with Ngezi
FORMER Highlanders coach Erol Akbay has become the latest coach to be linked to ambitious Premier Soccer League side Ngezi Platinum.
Akbay, who quit the Bulawayo giants at the end of last season, has been quiet in the Netherlands. But he could be considering coming back to Zimbabwe with Ngezi Platinum the most likely destination.
The Premiership silver medallists have been without a substantive coach since they fired Tonderai Ndiraya with five games before the end of the league programme.
Clifton Kadurira has been working as interim coach, but the club have made their intentions to bring a new broom clear and they indicated in previous interviews that they would only go for a high-profile coach with such names as former Warriors coaches Ian Gorowa and Callisto Pasuwa, Lloyd Chitembwe, Mark Harrison and championship-winning coach Norman Mapeza all being linked with a move to the ambitious outfit.
Akbay has become the latest coach to be drawn into the mix for the vacant job.
However, his local agent Denford Mutashu yesterday said they are still to be approached by any local club.
“Akbay right now is in the Netherlands where he is working more on improving his coaching credentials. He is focusing more on that at the moment and as far as I know there hasn’t been any club that has approached us, neither have we approached anyone.
“In fact, the prospect of him coming back to Zimbabwe any time soon is something that we have never discussed at any time, but if there are any developments we will always update,” said Mutashu.
Akbay left Zimbabwe last year unhappy with the way he spent the final part of his stint at Bosso. The coach was always on collision course with his employers over delays in the payment of bonuses and also indicated he had missed his family.
But he left the door open for a possible return.
“Admittedly there are times when tempers ran high, but that is normal in any set up, people disagree and make up.
“However, on the whole I enjoyed my stint at Highlanders. This was my first job outside the Netherlands and I will forever cherish this experience.”
“I enjoyed my stay in Zimbabwe, it is a beautiful country with beautiful people and if I get a good offer I will not hesitate to come back, but at this moment my mind is back home where my family is.
“I leave Zimbabwe a happy man after having worked here for two years, the country had become my second home so coming back will not be a problem. It all depends on the offer and the ambitions of the club that is after my services,” he told local media shortly before his departure last year.