ONE of his former players describes Perry Mutapa as the most technically gifted coach to have drilled Power Dynamos since the departure of Dan Kabwe in 2016.
When Mutapa was appointed a Power Dynamos coach in November 2019, there was little objection from Power fans – the expectation was that he would change the club’s dwindling fortunes.
The Power appointment was a big break for Mutapa’s coaching career despite not having coached the ‘traditional big’ teams before. There was generally a feel – good around his appointment and neutrals generally tipped to succeed at Arthur Davies Stadium.
Mutapa was seen as a perfect fit for the club. His affinity to playing attractive attacking football resonated well with Power’s ‘pass and play’ identity.
Coming after a period the club was drilled by ‘old school’ Fordson Kabole and Gaston Mutobo, Mupata was a breath of the proverbial fresh air that the club needed.
His impact on the team was immediate. He won his first game watching from the perimeter fence in a 1 – 0 win over Lumwana Radiants at Lumwana Grounds in North – Western Province.
He went on to win five matches and drawing two in his first seven matches. The famous 3 – 0 win over rivals Nkana won Mutapa more admirers For once, the fans ignored the agony they went through under Kabole and Mutobo. They were now dreaming.
Coming in when the season was already in motion, the former Lusaka Dynamos and Forest Rangers coach managed to take the team to a mid – table finish in a season that was prematurely cut at Week 27.
Power fans hoped for better fortunes as the side was expected to benefit from Mutapa’s pre – season drills.
His initial transformation at the club was credited to his prowess in demanding the best from his players. The players in return responded well in training at translated on the pitch.
“As players, we responded well to his training,” a former Power player said, “This was largely because when you compare to coach Fordson and other coaches, their training sessions were too physical, a lot of running involved, but when coach Perry came, he changed all that.
“The there was less emphasis on physical and more concentration on the tactical aspect of the game. If you are an intelligent player, you will enjoy being coached by a coach like Perry,” the player says.
This is probably the reason there was a sudden turnaround of results in his first season in 2019.
“From all the coaches that have passed through Power Dynamos since Dan Kabwe, Perry is the most technically gifted. He was on point, ranging from planning training sessions, game management and getting the best from players,” he says.
Since Kabwe’s departure, Power had four coaches in Kelvin Kaindu, Fordson Kabole, Gaston Mutobo and then Mutapa.
Ahead of the just-ended season, there was optimism that Power will be competitive.
Mutapa was given a target to deliver a continental spot.
However, things fell apart midway into the season, a seven match winless run in between April 14 and May 9, 2021 saw Mutapa sent on administrative leave.
With his contract set to end in December, there was no chance that he would return.
His reign ended with a painful defeat to rivals Nkana at Arthur Davies Stadium. Although he did not publicly accept it, it must have hurt Mutapa more so that the player he discarded, Alex Ng’onga was the main architect of his defeat to Nkana.
He was later to be replaced by close friend Masautso Tembo the rest of the season in an interim capacity.
On Monday, the club announced that the two parties have officially separated on mutual consent marking an end to a spell that promised much but delivered little.
What went wrong for a coach whose players described as tactically gifted?
Some Power insiders claim that the coach was not everyone’s cup of tea. His outspoken nature is sometimes interpreted as being egoistic.
A former player himself, his player management tact was often questioned, something which he defended.
In his own words: “Football is not about individuals, it is about a team. It is a team sport.”
Mutapa said when the fans acted angrily over his alleged poor treatment of N’gonga.
“Maybe he is a bit too egoistic for the players, some do not take that well” a Power source said, “When you look at the coaches that preceded him, none of them was that animated, so maybe some players failed to adjust to coach Perry.”
His tactics also failed him sometimes.
In the early days, he depended on Frederick Mulambia, the player was key to what Mutapa was doing, he used him as a space interpreter.
“The boy would get into spaces which not many players around can do,” trained coach Franklyn Malambo observes “But from the time he got injured, you would see Power struggle, they were not as hard hitting as they were when Mulambia was there.”
“Like most coaches, he became predictable…in your predictability as a coach, there should be an element of surprise, but they were no longer offering that.
“The passages of play were telegraphed, their play became more predictable and as a result there was no element of surprise which is required,” Malambo says.
To be fair to Mutapa, the current Power squad is not one that can win you the league but it is still good enough for a top four finish.
In a league season where they were not playing in continental football, you expected that they would be a bit more consistent but that did not happen.
Mutapa’s Power reign leaves a trail of unfulfilled potential from him and his players, a sharp contrast to the optimism he brought at his unveiling.
“We are coming here for a project, a project takes time to bear fruits…there is a wonderful atmosphere [here] it gives me a sense of being, as a coach I know Power are not doing well.
“I am not a coward, we are not going to change things overnight, but the most important thing is keep afloat,” Mutapa said.
One and half season later, Mutapa leaves Power Dynamos as he found it, a shadow of its former self.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Quite a balanced article Mr Kabamba.
I think Perry Mutapa has been hard done by Power.
He is a good coach and Power felt loyal to Ng’onga who by the way did not win the league with Power.
It seems a problem in Wusakile and Ndeke that fans want some “in” like Ng’onga and others “out” like Patson Daka.
Don’t even get started with R Sate Sate K – mediocre striker – ensuring Nkana probably get relegated upcoming season.
Anyway , all the best Perry, cream always rises to the top.