HWANGE Football Club head coach Nation Dube says local clubs should forget about signing defender Erick Chipeta as he still has a running contract with Chipangano and was returning to the Colliery after the African Nations Championship (Chan) finals.
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Dube said the Warriors right-back is in his plans for the 2014 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign, but would not stop the player if doors for greener pastures opened outside the country. He ruled out the possibility of Chipeta going to any Zimbabwean team saying any local club eyeing Chipeta this season should keep on dreaming as the club will not release him.
“Chipeta has a running contract with us. He is our player so he is in my plans for this coming season. If he impresses clubs from other countries, we will let him go. We are not going to stand in his way if he finds greener pastures outside the country.
“We are not going to let him go to any local club though. Any local club chasing his signature at the moment should forget because we are not going to release him to a local club until his contract with the club expires,” Dube said. Chipeta has been reportedly on the Highlanders’ wish list.
Although Dube has pointed out that there are replacements for Chipeta, the Warriors defender was an asset for Hwange during their poor 2013 PSL campaign that saw them survive the chop from the top-flight league on the last day.
Chipeta is in South Africa with the national team that will face Libya in the semi-finals of the Chan this evening. He has been impressive throughout the campaign with their defence together with Partson Jaure, Milton Ncube and Hardlife Zvirekwi.
Meanwhile, Dube has said Hwange will not be signing any big names for 2014. Former Tripple B’s free-scoring striker Aleck Marime has surfaced at the coalminers and so has Rodwell Chinyengetere who has recovered from a 2012 injury.
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Dube said Francisco Zekumbawira would be joining the club soon as the striker, who was on loan to Dynamos for the first half of last season, had asked to be excused to attend to some personal business.
Hwange has retained most of their senior players that include Farai Vimisayi, Isaac Masame, Gilbert Zulu, David Boriwondo, Gerald Ndlovu and veteran goalkeeper Timothy Sibanda. Nkosana Siwela, who was injured in Hwange’s last league match last season, is set to rejoin the coalminers.
