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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
INDISCIPLINE seems to be creeping in at Bulawayo giants Highlanders with a senior player this week coming to training late and drunk while the same player last week showed dissent towards assistant coach Amini Soma-Phiri during a training session.
Coach Erol Akbay, however, denied that there was a player who came to training drunk but players who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the player was visibly not in his right frame of mind when he reported for duty early this week, having been seen with friends buying the ‘wise waters’ at a city beverages centre along Five Street and Fourth Avenue.
He is close friends to some of the city players who are playing outside the country and are now on off season.
“He was not drunk, I don’t think he was. My philosophy is that if a player comes to training under any influence, drugs or alcohol, he is automatically out of the team if not the club,” said Akbay yesterday.
However, he did not dispute the dissent the same player showed to assistant coach Soma-Phiri last week, choosing instead to say ‘it’s a family matter and I can’t go into family matters’.
During the said training session last week, in a 11 v 11 situation, Akbay was the referee while Soma-Phiri took to the dugout. During play and when the player was going for goal, Akbay blew for offside but the player was clearly not amused and chose to kick the ball further away to express his anger.
Soma-Phiri then ordered the player to go and pick the ball up but he (player) clearly refused.
“Soma-Phiri ordered him three times but he clearly refused to go and pick up the ball until King, (Nadolo) probably realizing that Soma-Phiri was close to losing his temper, rushed to pick up the ball,” said one of the players.
Akbay did not refute the allegations.
“It is unfortunate that he (player) and my assistant coach are family members. I can not then come into the way of family members,” said Akbay.
This is the second time that the two (Soma-Phiri) have had a confrontation after the Bosso gaffer allegedly used an ‘F’ word towards the same player last season.
Meanwhile, Akbay has expressed his delight over the call up of Nadolo to the Zimbabwe senior national team’s Cosafa squad by national team coach Calisto Pasuwa and said he hopes he will be in the starting linenup.
“I’m happy for him, its really good that he has been called up,” said Akbay.
derick.khumalo