Luke Petros

Education

Petros attended Seke 2 High School where he played football for the school team.^[2]

Career

Petros was spotted by Benjamin Zulu playing for his school in the Coca-Cola tournament and did not hesitate to move from the capital and try his luck elsewhere. Although it was Zulu who lured the young midfielder to Mhangura Football Club, Petros would finally get his Premiership debut for the copper miners under Webster Chikabala in 1993.Petros was to enjoy a fruitful four years at Mhangura where he played along with the likes of Jani Milanzi and current Shabanie Mine coach John Phiri.^[2] Petros spent the better part of his formative years as a footballer at the once vibrant CAPS United Football Club junior system based at Raylton Sports Club in the 90s.^[2] Petros was snapped up by Lancashire Steel in 1998 and that is where he was converted into a striker during the second half of his first season. Petros went on to score a total 18 goals in that season for the Chimbi Chimbi Boys and was only three shy of eventual Premiership Golden Boot winner Zenzo Moyo of Highlanders Football Club.^[2]

In 1999, Petros was called for national duty in a friendly match against Zambia. He scored in his debut game putting him on the map in his career as part of the national team. His exploits in the national team attracted the attention of South African glamour club Kaizer Chiefs.^[2] Petros moved to Naturena in July 2000 as an established goalscorer who had been one of the Warriors’ trusted frontman finishing as the 1999 Cosafa Castle Cup top goalscorer. At the time the club had prolific goal scorers like Siyabonga Nomvete, Thabo Mooki and a young Jabu Pule.

Petros scored five goals in two years for Kaizer Chiefs– only one of which was a League strike - in 24 starts Petros was offloaded to Dynamos. Straight after Dynamos, Petros came back to Zimbabwe to take up coaching and in 2014 led Zimbabwe Prisons Services club WhaWha FC to a historic promotion to the country’s Premier Soccer League.^[3]

Coaching

He previously coached Silo United and the now defunct former Premiership side Tripple B, among other clubs.

In 2014, Petros was coaching Whawha Football Club in the ZIFA Central Region Division One league. In the same year, he helped Whawha gain promotion to the topflight.^[4] In 2018, Whawha fired Luke Petros, over unprofessional conduct.

Petros’s assistant Charles Mapenduka was elevated to head coach, while Khumbulani Musendeki was been roped in as his assistant coach.

Luke Petros had been conspicuous by his absence at Whawha’s pre-season friendly games.^[5]

Luke Petros was involved in a contractual wrangle after he rejoined Whawha which he had left for MSU FC. Both clubs claimed Petros was contracted to them. Whawha claimed Petros was their employee having helped them get promotion into the topflight league.

MSU said Petros signed a two-year contract with them at the start of 2020.

In April 2020, Petros rejoined Whawha, who he had initially dumped over their financial woes.

Petros initially left Whawha, following their struggles to affiliate with the PSL, but is said to have changed his mind when a well-wisher helped Whawha pay the affiliation fees. In September 2020, MSU sports director James Chivivi had told NewsDay that Luke Petros was their head coach and had a two-year running contract.^[6][7][8]

Petros failed to help WhaWha retain their place in Zimbabwe’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League in the 2022 season. The club lost 22 times out of 34 games. They won and drew six times apiece.

In February 2023, it was reported that Petros was to be redeployed to another Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services side.^[9]

The club leadership had decided to combine WhaWha and one of their teams, Tenax, as a cost-cutting measure, with Petros set to be named the team’s head coach.

Controversy

On 14 October 2023, Petros allegedly punched the referee at the end of his side’s Eastern Region Soccer League match against Grayham at Chiremba Stadium.^[10]

Petros punched referee Blessing Tauro on the nose after the final whistle, accusing the match official of not awarding Tenax a late penalty.

According to match commissioner Ian Karoto’s report, Tenax players also took turns to assault the referee and his two assistants. The match had ended goalless.

Residents in Ruwa had to intervene to protect and shield the match officials, who then reported the matter to the police, leading to the opening of a docket.

References