Bosso reprimand coach

Raymond Jaravaza
STOP IT!

HIGHLANDERS have reprimanded their assistant coach Amini Soma Phiri to keep his public conduct in check to avoid dragging the name of the club into disrepute.

This follows two separate incidents in which the coach hogged the limelight with the first being a scuffle with a top Bulawayo police officer over parking space in March followed by another incident when the mentor was involved in a brawl with patrons at the Highlanders Sports Club last month.

Phiri has since appeared at the Bulawayo magistrates court charged with two counts of criminal insult and undermining police authority after he and a senior police officer Alberito Mashingaidze were involved in a scramble for parking space at a local parking bay.

He is set to appear again in court on 8 June for a ruling on the case.

Bosso chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede, while addressing members of the media at a weekly press conference, said the club hierarchy was concerned by the conduct of the coach.

a�?We are worried about the conduct of the coach, even at his own spare time, as it has reputational consequences on the club. We are concerned with the reputation of the club that gets smeared as a result of the conduct of the coach and we have since talked to him and asked him to be careful how he conducts himself in public,a�? said Gumede.

However, the Highlanders chief administrator believes Phiri is a victim of unfair treatment by some unruly elements as a result of his standing in society.

Gumede reckons the same elements will pick up fights with Phiri just to spike the coach and ruin his reputation.

a�?The last time he had a quarrel at the clubhouse we strongly believe that he was a victim but was somehow portrayed as the bad guy, the fighter. The man that Amini quarrelled with is known for picking fights at the clubhouse and it was unfortunate the coach allowed himself to be caught up in a petty argument. One of our staunch supporters and a regular patron at the clubhouse Sydney was almost hit with a chair during the scuffle,a�? he said.