Bosso dump Kaindu aides

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Acting Sports Editor
HIGHLANDERS Football Club have officially named their senior team technical bench that will be led by Zambian Kelvin Kaindu and also sees the return of legendary goalkeeper Peter “Captain Oxo” Nkomo as the goalkeepers’ coach and former juniors coach Mark Mathe as Kaindu’s assistant.

Nkomo and Mathe take over from Tembo Chuma and Bekithemba Ndlovu, whose contracts, according to club chairman Peter Dube, will not be renewed upon expiry at the end of this month.

Another club legend Willard Mashinkila-Khumalo retains his welfare manager’s post but the club created a new post, that of kit manager and appointed Vezigama Dlodlo to the position.

Another former player Melusi Mabaleka Sibanda becomes the developmental side’s head coach.
Dumaza Dube, Gift Lunga Jnr and Danny Ngwenya all keep their posts as the Under-18, the Under-16 and Under-14 coaches respectively although Dube will be the overseer of all the technical aspects of the youngsters’ needs.

Long serving juniors manager Smart Moyo has also retained his post.
“Kelvin Kaindu has agreed to a two year contract, that’s official. The club has brought in Peter Nkomo and Mark Mathe as his goalkeepers and assistant coaches respectively. Willard Khumalo remains our welfare manager but he will solely concentrate on real welfare issues to do with players as we have engaged a new kit manager. Besides Kaindu, all the other guys have one year contracts,” said Dube.
The Highlanders supremo said the new kit manager Dlodlo, who had been seen driving the technical team last season, will now be doing ground bookings as well as taking care of the team’s jerseys.

The Zambian, who joined Bosso last season on a two year contract, led Highlanders to two second spot finishes and the Mbada Diamonds Cup triumph this year. He has all along been linked to ambitious FC Platinum with some sections claiming that he already had a pre-contract from the platinum miners.

Nkomo had his first stint with Highlanders’ bench way back in 2004 when he joined another club legend Madinda Ndlovu on the technical team.

He was in charge of the goalkeepers having taken over from Johannes Tshuma who had left for a then ambitious but now defunct Sparrows.

Captain Oxo left the club in 2010 when a financial force, FC Platinum, entered the stage.
He stayed with the Zvishavane-based side for two years but has been clubless since January this year.

In his previous stints with the club, he coached former goalkeepers Chenjerai Dube, now a goalkeepers coach at Hwange and Tapuwa Kapini, first choice goalie at Absa Premiership side AmaZulu.

“I want to state that the new appointments had no malice behind them but we took the decision in the best interests of the club. The coach has already told us that the pre-season training starts on February 6 next year so we expect everyone to be busy then,” said Dube.
This year Highlanders had a false start to their preparations as the executive was still to appoint Kaindu’s assistants, something that reportedly irked the now hands-on board of directors.

In previous years the Highlanders board had been described as paper tigers without any spine to challenge the executive.
Last week, Kaindu had reportedly refused to append his signature to a new contract in protest over the non-renewal of Ndlovu and Chuma’s contracts and the appointment of Mathe, who once worked with Kaindu, adds weight to the allegations.

Mathe is a proven shrewd tactician and largely credited with laying a foundation for Chicken Inn, whom he led into Division One.
Upon leaving Highlanders’ developmental side, reportedly in a huff, he joined a then struggling Zimbabwe Saints that became a force to reckon with in the Division One race.