Pending administrative leave for the embattled Egyptian Pharaoh h

By the ZamFoot Crew | May 21, 2021

MTN Super League side Napsa Stars are on the verge of sending struggling Egyptian born Mohamed Fathi on the now infamous ‘administrative leave,’ the ZamFoot Crew can exclusively reveal.

The pensioners are struggling in the league and are embattled in the relagation zone with the likes of Lumwana Radiant, Nkana, Prison Leopards and Indeni.

The poor form in the league is becoming a source of concern for the Napsa board at the headquarters at Lusaka’s Levy Junction.

Fathi replaced Elijah Chikwanda in June 2018 and helped the club steer away from relagation.

Last season, the Egyptian coach helped the Lusaka based club to qualify for continental football and subsquently reached the CAF 2020/21 Confederations Cup group stage.

While he achieved that milestone, whispers from inside the club are that they are not too impressed with his spending in the transfer market.

The ZamFoot Crew understands that the board didn’t want to sack Fathi and just wanted to run down his contract which ends in December.

‘A lot of mistakes have been made in the transfer market. The board is not happy with some of the players the coach bought.

“If we sack him now, we have to buy off his contract and that is an expense the club is trying to avoid,” a ZamFoot Crew source said.

“But we think the best is to place him on administrative leave and maybe appoint someone from within the club.

Recently Forest Rangers coach Tenant Chilumba became the fourth coach to be placed administrative leave after string of poor results.

Nkana were first ones to put UEFA B holder Kelvin Kaindu on leave before Kabwe Warriors and Power Dynamos followed with Chabby Chabala and Perry Mutapa respectively.

Mutapa’s contract will end in November with Chabala’s ending in June.

As for Kalampa and Kaindu they are tied to each other until the end of next year.