Mpinganjira counts losses
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers president and board chairperson Thomson Mpinganjira has opened up on the agony he went through after the Nomads failed to win any silverware last season.
The philanthropist and business mogul, who is also the team’s majority shareholder, said this in an interview yesterday when he once again set a target of winning the 2024 TNM Super League title and two cups.
Mpinganjira, who spent K30 million on beefing up the team with new players as well as hiring an expatriate coach Mark Harrison last season, said: “It was very painful to finish the season empty-handed after all the resources and energies we channelled towards the team in search of success.”
He said the fact that their arch-rivals FCB Nyasa Bullets swept all silverware, made the situation even worse.
Shaking his head and visibly forcing a smile, Mpinganjira said: “When you fail to win even a single silverware and your biggest rival sweeps everything, you can imagine the pain.
“But I guess it was a learning experience and everyone should jack up. I expect nothing less than a league title and two cups and this will be made clear to the incoming technical panel and the players.”
The team’s captain Stanley ‘Nyima’ Sanudi said he understands their president’s frustration.
He said: “We owe him, the supporters and the entire Wanderers family a lot. We failed to meet the expectations, but I can assure him that it will be different this time around.
“We just need to pull in the same direction and be focused.”
The Nomads finished third in the TNM Super League. In the three national trophies, the Nomads lost 1-0 to Mafco in the FDH Bank Cup semi-finals while in the Airtel Top 8, they exited at the quarter-finals stage amid controversy.
The Nomads also lost 4-2 on post-match penalties to Bullets in the newly introduced Ibongetse Castel Challenge after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
On the other hand, their rivals won a quadruple of national trophies to set a new record.
