Bulawayo Chiefs head coach Nilton Terroso was reportedly been barred by the club from presiding over the team’s Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final clash with Highlanders on Sunday as a form of punishment for misconduct.
Terosso watched the match from the stands after leaving a training session on Thursday in a huff after an alleged fallout with his backroom staff.
Assistant coach Thulani Sibanda presided over the 1-0 win over Highlanders.
The Portuguese national is said to have walked out of a training session last Thursday because he felt sidelined by some members of the technical team who reported some alleged misdemeanours by players directly to the team’s leadership without consulting him.
The club’s executive secretary Dumisani Mantula-Sibanda yesterday said Terroso breached club rules by walking out of the training session and Sunday’s move was a disciplinary action against the coach.
“That was a move to do with club procedures. The coach threw a tantrum on Thursday at training. We have to do things in a certain way. If one breaks club procedures and on that particular day the coach had disagreements with his colleagues over some players alleged to have been drunk on the morning of the league game against Ngezi Platinum Stars,” he said.
“The coach walked out of the training session. Him not being part of the team was a disciplinary action and it goes for everyone, including players if they misbehave,” Mantula said.
He added: “The coach apparently felt someone had passed on some information to the club director and as a professional he did not like that.”
Mantula said the club, through a relevant committee is in the process of investigating the matter, including that of the players that were said to be drunk with a view to discipline them.
Assistant coach Sibanda declined to comment on the reported stand-off in the dressing room.
Terroso watched the Sunday game from the terraces with his wife and daughters along with club president Lovemore Sibanda.
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