‘Hiring and firing won’t help Bosso’

FORMER Highlanders midfielder, Gabriel Nyoni suggests the changing of coaches will not help the club end their 18-year league title drought. At the league’s half-way mark, Bosso are in fifth place with 26 points from 17 games, nine points behind table toppers FC Platinum. Already, there are some sections who are calling for coach Kelvin Kaindu to be replaced.

Nyoni took to social media to air his thoughts on the state of affairs at his former club. “Then something about my team Highlanders doesn’t sit well with me. I heard certain people already blaming the coach. Here is a little bit of history, Highlanders last won the league in 2006 led by the great Methembe Ndlovu. It has been 18 years since then. How many coaches have come and gone in between this time?

“A few I can remember. Kelvin Kaindu, Bongani Mafu, Erol Akbay, Mark Mathe, Madinda Ndlovu, Soma Phiri, Pieter De Jongh, De Oliveira Brito, no league and Kaindu is back this season. I didn’t mention many others since Methembe’s reign. Not to mention the quality of players that have been signed over the years. They have all not won the league,” said Nyoni. He feels there is more to why Bosso has failed to win the league other than firing coaches.

“CEOs and executives have been changed in between. Now, the question is, is it the coaches’ problem that Highlanders isn’t winning the league? Does firing the coach again prove any point. I believe there is now a culture within that needs to be eradicated. Firing and hiring isn’t the solution,” said Nyoni. His remarks drew interesting reactions from some of his followers on social media.

Beke BK Mguni said: “They should sign quality players, not this thing of free agents. We have a habit of losing good players for free, for example Brian Banda, Mbongeni Ndlovu and now on the verge of losing Divine Mhindirira for free as well.” Nqobile Matshelela also weighed in on the matter. “Well said, it’s definitely not the coaches. Administration plus okunye I think we need to get a lot of younger supporters getting membership otherwise it’ll always be the madalas with the decision-making.

I have nothing against old men by the way but, I think it’s time the youth took over and we go with the times. Embrace modernity. On a side note, up until now, we still don’t have access to the new kit but bootleg replicas are already in the market,” said Matshelela. Khulekani Mazibuko Hlambelo is of the view that leadership is letting the club down. “The problems at Highlanders FC lie deep in the core of our leadership. The game has evolved since the last time we won the league, but the leadership at Highlanders still wants to do things the same way they did 18 years ago.

Only a fool does the same thing over and over, expecting different results. “The teams that have dominated the league, in the last five years are doing things differently, investing in quality players and facilities. Last season, we went 19 games unbeaten and coach Brito was on course to break the league drought. He saw the team’s weaknesses and approached the executive for reinforcements.

What did the executive do? They rejected Brito’s requests in the name of ‘We are Highlanders, and we have a way of doing things at Highlanders.'”
Nigel Siziba commented saying: “Wakhuluma mfana kaNyoni and most don’t want to admit the problem is with the administration.” A majority of the club players have worked under Mandla Mpofu, Baltemar Brito and now Kelvin Kaindu with no results.

A few have been deemed good enough to attract interest at other clubs, notably Mbongeni Ndlovu, a key figure in 2023 moved as a free agent to FC Platinum alongside Brighton Manhire.—@innocentskizoe