Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HIGHLANDERS have wielded the axe on head coach Kelvin Kaindu, bringing an end to his second stint at the helm after a string of underwhelming results.
In a statement released last night, Bosso said the decision was triggered by a “recent streak of unsatisfactory results”, despite a hard-fought draw against Chicken Inn on Sunday and a morale-boosting away win over Manica Diamonds the previous week.
The Bulawayo giants are currently stuck in mid-table with 23 points from 17 games, 12 behind log leaders Simba Bhora. The pressure has been mounting, and the club hierarchy finally pulled the plug on the Zambian gaffer, replacing him with his first assistant, Try Ncube, on an interim basis.
“Highlanders Football Club has made the following immediate changes to its technical team. Head Coach Kelvin Kaindu has parted ways with the club. First Assistant Coach Try Ncube will take over as interim head of the technical team, assisted by second Assistant Coach Agent Sawu. The rest of the technical team will retain their current roles,” read the club’s statement.
The dismissal marks the end of a frustrating 51-match run for Kaindu, who managed just 17 wins, 20 draws and suffered 14 losses. He collected 71 points out of a possible 153, translating to a modest 46.4 percent success rate.
Last season, Highlanders finished with 48 points from 34 games, winning 12, drawing 12 and losing 10, a 47.1 percent return. In the current campaign, they’ve slumped slightly, picking up only 23 points from 17 games, a 45.1 percent success rate, prompting the Bosso leadership to act. Kaindu’s sacking now means all three traditional giants, Highlanders, Dynamos and CAPS United, have parted ways with their coaches this season. Dynamos were the first to wield the axe, letting go of Lloyd Chigowe and bringing in Saul Chaminuka in a bid to claw their way out of the relegation zone. However, the Harare giants remain among the bottom four. CAPS United also made a change, ditching long time coach Lloyd Chitembwe for Zambian mentor Ian Bakala. The Green Machine has shown signs of improvement under Bakala, sparking hope of a late surge. Highlanders’ decision reflects the growing shift in Zimbabwean football, where ambitious newcomers like Simba Bhora, Manica Diamonds and FC Platinum have re-written the script, while the once dominant giants continue to stumble through transition.
