Mapeza forced by employers to make peace with journalist after media conference bust-up
By Sports Reporter
Under-fire FC Platinum head coach Norman Mapeza has been forced by employers to make peace with journalist Sticky Chigandiwa after the fiery gaffer scored a public relations own goal in an unwarranted media conference bust-up with the scribe.
Mapeza was asked by the journalist at a post-match interview following his side’s 2-1 triumph over Caps United on whether he was still “worried” about his team’s failure to regularly score goals.
Related: SWAZ condemns Mapeza for furious rant at journalist during media briefing
But the Dream Team legend took offence with the question and reprimanded the scribe for “putting words in my mouth”.
A finger wagging Mapeza vowed he will never address a future media briefing if Chigandiwa attended the event. He abruptly abandoned the Harare media briefing.
The incident, captured in a viral video, invited wide criticism on the coach known for his temperament.
The Sports Writers Association of Zimbabwe (SWAZ) led the censure through demands for both the Premier Soccer League and FC Platinum to make their positions known on the coach’s conduct.
FC Platinum is owned by mining giant MIMOSA.
Business executive and MIMOSA media point person Munyaradzi Hwengwere on Tuesday posted an image of the coach and the journalist sitting next to each other.
In the image caption, Hwengwere said the two met “under careful watch”.
“The media has been ablaze. Coach Mapeza hates the media. Well today he met, under my careful watch, the Sticky Chigandiwa, the journalist at the center of the post match interview row. The interesting thing: both are passionate about soccer. They agreed on more issues than they disagreed. What I realised is that in the heat of the game especially soccer, friends can turn into foes. Guess what, their parting words: let’s meet at FC Platinum versus Highlanders soccer match this weekend,” Hwengwere said.
