Silver coach backs under-fire Harawa
Silver Strikers coach Lovemore Fazili has defended the continuous inclusion of forward Green Harawa despite supporters’ protest following his failure to stamp authority in the matches he has played since his return from Mozambique.
Harawa has played in four matches. He has generally been subdued, his enormous pace and defence terrorising dribbles have somehow deserted him and he is yet to score.
His poor showing has not gone unnoticed by supporters some of whom lined up along the Silver Stadium dressing room tunnel, after Silver beat Red Lions 2-1, to voice their concerns.
“Green asazalowenso.Akutilepheletsa kuti tisamapambane ameneyu [Green should not play again! He’s the cause of our poor results],” they shouted.
Some of the supporters have used the social media to vent out their frustration. Writing on Silver Strikers FC Facebook page, Norman Kamanga said: “Harawa azayambe next yr[sic]….ntchitoyi tachokanayo kutali ndezibwana kumapeto aaaah zimatiwawa. [Harawa should start featuring next year. We have come from far in the title bid. It is, therefore, painful to lose focus now].”
Fazili in an interview with The Nation admitted that Harawa’s performance has not been impressive, but said he needed time to adapt.
“Green was playing in Mozambique where football is not as competitive as the Super League. Supporters must understand that he cannot not have an instant impact,” he said.
After severing a season-long romance with Mozambique top league outfit Ferroviaro de Nampula last month, Harawa rejoined Silver and went straight into the starting line-up in double loss to Kamuzu Barracks in Fisd Cup and league matches.
Fazili said the forward easily found his way into the starting team because they lost their attacking prowess.
“Our problem recently has been scoring goals. We thought he could somehow rejuvenate the striking force, but things haven’t turned out as expected,” he said.
However, the coach said he was ready to drop the forward to the bench if he continues stuttering.
“I expect him to pull up his socks and start performing better because he has been given enough time to adjust to the Super League,” he said.
Silver Strikers next match is on Sunday against Moyale Barracks at Mzuzu Stadium where the Bankers will aim to continue their Super League title bid revival.
In an interview yesterday, Harawa admitted that he has not been playing well. He blamed lack of fitness, claiming he spent a long time without playing competitively.
“I didn’t train for a long time so it was difficult to do well at high level. Again, coordination with my team-mates has been another problem as you know most players are new,” he said.
He appealed for patience from the fans, saying he is working hard to regain his fitness and gel with his team-mates.
“I am also not happy with my performance, but I am working with the coaches to ensure that I regain my fitness and form,” he said.
