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Raymond Jaravaza
Sports Correspondent
HIGHLANDERS have appointed Mandla Mpofu senior team head coach on a one-year performance-based contract for the 2021 Premiership football season.
He takes over from Mark Harrison, who terminated his contract by mutual agreement with the Bulawayo giants and returned to his home country England after football activities were halted following the outbreak of Covid-19.
Highlanders chairman Kenneth Mhlophe confirmed the development.
“We have appointed Mandla Mpofu to take over the role of head coach and he will be assisted by Bekithemba Ndlovu. Mandla’s (current) contract with Highlanders expires at the end of the year and we agreed as an executive to give him a performance-based one-year contract. The other coaches still have running contracts with the club,” said Mhlophe.
“We have faith in Mandla to lead the team and give us good results. He has been part of the technical team for a long time and understands the philosophy of the club.” Mhlophe said the club is in constant touch with Harrison and the Briton is aware of the financial constraints Bosso are facing at the moment.
“We are not in a good financial standing to pay Harrison and he is well aware of our situation, but we have kept our doors open to working with him in future if the situation improves. Our benefactors, who paid Harrison’s salary, were also hit hard by effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and could not continue paying him,” he said.
Meanwhile, club chief executive officer Nhlanhla Dube will continue as head of the secretariat for another year after his contract was renewed.
“There was no football to talk about in 2020 and it’s difficult to assess the performance of the CEO based on a year where football wasn’t played at all, so we made a decision to extend his contract by another year.
As an executive, we believe in continuity and we believe Dube is an integral part of the Highlanders family and adds immense value to the club,” Mhlophe said.
Online Reporter