Brito surrenders title race

Fungai Muderere and Raymond Jaravaza

HIGHLANDERS coach Brito Baltemar has given up on the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title race after the goalless draw against Bulawayo Chiefs at Barbourfields on Sunday. 

Bosso let its multitudes of fans down with another performance that did not produce goals and Brito didn’t mince his word after the game. 

Bosso have not been lethal in front of goal as they have scored the least number of goals, 20. 

With five games to go, the Bulawayo football giants are on position three with 48 points, nine behind Mhondoro based pacesetters Ngezi Platinum Stars.

Brito feels let down by the failure to acquire players he had targeted during the transfer window. 

“We create lots of chances but on the last third we are not dangerous. Even if we try to do our best in these last six or eight matches, we have shown that the problem is not on planning because Plan A, B, C, D have all failed. We can change the system, the players but the results are still the same,” said Brito.

He added: 

“Even during this time I was off with the national team, the summary belongs to the last games. With me going there with the national team for about 15 days I don’t think I’m to blame. I conducted one session after that, it was not so fair that I took charge. I did it because no one wanted to take the responsibility.” 

In their last five games Bosso have drawn four times and lost once in a season they once went for a 19-game unbeaten run that was brought to a halt by defending league champions FC Platinum. 

Brito cannot help but wonder why the Bosso executive still didn’t give him the arsenal that he needs to hunt with.

Brito has for long asked the executive to buy him a quality striker, and he specifically asked for one name — Obriel Chirinda. 

He also had other names of his wish list — a list that was allegedly ignored by the Johnfat Sibanda led executive for a number of reasons ranging from how Bulawayo Chiefs had priced Chirinda so high and that the player had demanded to be paid more than senior Bosso players. 

“We have structures that govern us as Highlanders and we upset those structures by paying a player like Chirinda more that Ariel and Muduhwa (Peter),” Highlanders boss Sibanda told club members at a mid-year meeting in June at the clubhouse.