Moffat Mungazi
Lovemore Kadzura
Sports Reporter
WHILE Tymon Machope is flying high in the top-flight league with his dazzling performance, the club that nurtured his exceptional talent is struggling to stay afloat, its future hanging precariously in the balance following his departure to Simba Bhora, one and half seasons ago.
Midway FC of Rusape, which competes in the ZIFA Eastern Region Division One, did not benefit from Machope’s transfer, amid allegations of underhanded dealings by junior staff members.
These individuals involved allegedly bypassed the farm manager and team chairman, Miller Chiposa to negotiate directly with Simba Bhora.
When TKT Sports, the player agent, approached Midway FC, certain officials secretly revealed to them that Machope was only receiving salary as a farm employee, not as a footballer.
The agent allegedly seized on this information and informed the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe, which subsequently notified Midway FC that they were in breach of Machope’s contract.
As a result, the union declared that Machope had the right to leave the club without any transfer fees.
Chiposa, who was willing to release Machope for a transfer fee, expressed surprise that the player was allowed to leave without compensation.
Chiposa said he was pressured into signing the clearance certificate, and suspects that some club officials benefited personally from Machope’s transfer at the expense of the team.
Chiposa stated that he has since distanced himself from the team and referred further inquiries to club vice-chairman, Ramos Makwasa, a manager at PanMart Supermarket, which is a sister company to Midway Farm, both owned by former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, John Mangudya.
“Let me be blunt. I have withdrawn from football due to the circumstances surrounding Tymon’s transfer to Simba Bhora. He was transferred without my knowledge, and I was forced to sign the clearance letter. That is why I quit football. I am no longer involved, and I am surprised to hear that people from PanMart Supermarket are interested, given their involvement in Tymon’s transfer.
“There was no teamwork during the transfer process. My only role was when ZIFA forced me to sign his clearance certificate, which I did under duress. I was told that refusing to sign would be an offence. I nurtured Tymon from the beginning, even providing transportation with my own vehicles. Since he left, he has not contacted me; only his wife regularly sends me messages.
It is astonishing. The club did not receive any compensation for his move – not even a single cent. We should have benefited, at least receiving soccer balls and jerseys. This could have motivated me to continue supporting the team, but I won’t be doing so this season,” said Chiposa.
Chikwasa revealed that he only became aware of Machope’s transfer after the player had already joined Simba Bhora.
He attributed his limited involvement with the team to his demanding work schedule.
Interestingly, Chikwasa claimed that Midway FC team captain, Never Madhadhadha, was privy to the details of Machope’s transfer.
“I only found out about Tymon’s transfer after he had already moved to Simba Bhora. I am not aware of the circumstances surrounding his departure.
You should speak with Never Madhadhadha, the team captain, as he has information on how Tymon left. Although I hold a position at the club, my busy work schedule prevents me from being actively involved in football matters,” explained Chikwasa.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Madhadhadha were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or text messages.
Trust Nyambiya, director of TKT Sports, explained that Machope was only employed as a farm worker, not a professional soccer player, which led to his declaration as a free agent.
“Tymon didn’t have a standard contract with Midway FC. He was employed by Midway Farm. He was not paid to play football, and there is no record of the club making payments to him for his football services. According to the rules, this made him a free agent,” said Nyambiya.
There have been calls for Midway FC to professionalise its operations by engaging external experts, rather than relying solely on farm employees and officials to manage the team.
