adminThe departure of Bongani Mafu and his entire technical team was greeted by excitement from the Highlanders family. With just six wins from 21 league matches and lying 10th on the log, many a Bosso follower will feel “Nkonjeni” had failed their team.
While most were excited about his firing, they were shocked with the replacement technical team of Cosmas Zulu, Amini Soma-Phiri and Melusi “Mabaleka” Sibanda. They were shocked with the return of Zulu as last year around the same time he was recalled as a technical director following the resignation of Kelvin Kaindu, after massive demonstrations following a 3-1 defeat to ZPC Kariba at Hartsfield.
The same Zulu was tasked with recruiting new players soon after the 2015 season had ended. He was also released upon the appointment of Mafu and none of the players he identified during the off season made it into Mafu’s squad. Maybe it’s a Bosso system that forgets, because Soma- Phiri was welfare manager at the club and was replaced by the late Willard Mashinkila Khumalo. “Khazeni” as Soma-Phiri is known in the Bosso circles was also released under unclear circumstances. At one stage he was accused by the Bosso system of benefitting alone and the club not getting a cent in the movement of players at Bosso, who were under his books. Some of the movements included those of Milton Ncube and Peter “Rio” Moyo to South Africa. One of his products Atlast Musasa was also released at the club with little explanation.
Maybe the appointment is to ensure that he starts the supply line to Bosso ahead of the 2016 season? Kaindu is said to have worked under difficult conditions at Bosso, despite finishing second twice and resigning when the team was within reach of the championship. Since his departure Bosso has struggled.
The Zambian has remained mum on the challenges he faced at Bosso. “We will talk about this some other time”, he always says when asked. Soma-Phiri was also silent when he was released as team manager at Bosso. Mafu chose to be diplomatic at his sacking by posting on his Facebook page “Today my stay at Bosso as technical manager ended. I thank the boys for their effort and the supporters for their support. Coaching Bosso is a dream for any coach from Bulawayo. I have lived my dream albeit without the necessary success. I have no regrets and will continue following the progress of this great institution.”
Whatever challenges he faced at Bosso just like Kaindu, Soma-Phiri and the rest it will seem he will keep that to himself. Is this helping Bosso, is this addressing the massive challenges this football club established in 1926 faces? Maybe the silence is all to do with the confidentiality oath signed by the Bosso staff, which is along the professional lines of any institution. What is clear though is that while the same personnel come in and out of the Bosso system, those in charge of the appointments remain in control, either at board or executive level.
It will seem they act on what the masses and the media push for. Kaindu and Mafu will feel they were pushed out of the Bosso system by certain forces that never bothered to check the bigger challenges at the club. As the new broom sweeps at Bosso for the remainder of the season, it is important that the Bosso leadership makes decision based on the vision and major tasks of the club and ensure they stop making unforced errors. The Bosso voting family (card carrying members) should also put the leadership to task on the visions, budgets, growth, structures and recruitments at the club. The survival of their team lies in their voting pattern. Just like someone joked “It will seem Peter Dube and his executive plus the board don’t know how to recruit, for how do you explain the appointments of former Zimbabwe Saints coaches, Bongani Mafu, Cosmas Zulu, Amini Soma-Phiri, we all know where Saints is, maybe Bosso is headed there as well.”
Online Reporter