Ex-Chiefs star swallows bitter pill after big move fails

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder, Edmore Chirambandare was looking forward to coming back to Orlando Stadium and tormenting Amakhosi’s biggest rivals Orlando Pirates but in the colours of Zimbabwean powerhouse club FC Platinum. But things didn’t work out the way he had hoped and was forced to return to his National First Division team Maccabi FC where he played a sterling game in the 1-0 defeat to Ajax Cape Town last Saturday.

According to Maccabi official Elasto Lungu, FC Platinum wanted to bully them into releasing Chirambandare without following proper procedure. On Friday afternoon, FC Platinum released a statement saying they were awaiting Chira’s clearance but he played the full 90 minutes for Maccabi the next day.

“I know why such a statement was made. They know what they needed to do to get the player but they didn’t. Chira is our player and if you need him you need to speak to us properly and honour all obligations,” said Lungu.

Chirambandare admitted that he had been looking forward to playing Caf Champions League football and that he has accepted that it was not meant to be this time.  

“Things didn’t go as I had hoped and that is I am back here with Maccabi because they are my team. I did train with them (Platinum) but not for long. I trained for two weeks and I left them to go and check up on my family.

“The circumstances didn’t allow it. I am back here and happy. If you are player you need to focus on the field and forget things that happen in the boardroom,” he said.

He said having a top team in his home country calling on him to help them in a big tournament like the Champions League was the validation he had needed after his unsuccessful stint at Amakhosi.

“It gave me confidence because it reassured me that I am still a top player. I will now just keep pushing here at Maccabi and see what happens in future. I need to keep working hard. When you play in the NFD you wish to play in the Premiership and that is what I want too.” 

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