adminLovemore Dube Sports Editor
HIGHLANDERS Football Club has opened contract talks with coach Kelvin Kaindu and indications are that the Zambian expatriate will renew his contract with the Mbada Diamonds Cup champions. Bosso chairman Peter Dube said negotiations were going well and a deal was imminent. He said Kaindu, who left for Lusaka, Zambia on Tuesday to attend his daughter’s graduation, was very happy at Highlanders.
“What I can tell you is that wherever he is, he is a happy man, an employee content with proceedings at the club”, said Dube.
He added: “We are also happy with what he has achieved so far. We are an institution that does performance appraisals and rewards performers; there is no need to panic at all”.
The Highlanders chairman confirmed that Kaindu had engaged in talks with the club before his departure for Zambia and that the talks had been very fruitful.
“At this stage both parties are happy and will make a statement at the right time. As Highlanders we have allowed him to attend a course in the United Kingdom that will run up to mid next year with the hope his knowledge will work for the betterment of this institution,” said Dube, adding:
“When we allowed him to go we were also looking at the future of the club and his. I wish to reiterate our earlier position that we are happy with what we have achieved so far and we are hungry for more success”.
Dube said all decisions made at the club were subject to ratification and hence whatever was discussed with Kaindu had to go through the executive and board.
“All decisions made at the club are after wide consultations with the interests of the club top of the agenda. That is why the executive and board have to be engaged,” he said.
Kaindu is believed to have met the treasurer Jerry Sibanda and vice chairman Mgcini Mpofu for intitial talks.
After the discussions, the Bosso coach is reported to have met Dube for almost 30 minutes.
The Highlanders chairman could not divulge the nature of their discussion.
“I have met him before when I was not even in the executive and he was still in Zambia. Yes I had a chat with him but at this stage I am not at liberty to divulge what we spoke about save to say it was a positive chat between chairman and coach,” said Dube an admirer of Kaindu during his days at Bosso and Zanaco.
He said unity of purpose was crucial to the success of Highlanders as an institution and the executive would be guided by the overarching interests of the club above everything else.
“At whatever time an executive makes a decision it’s in the interest of the club. That is why he (Kaindu) is still here to this date. We can only achieve things as Highlanders if we work together and I am happy a majority wants to see the club succeed,” said the Bosso chairman.
Kaindu told Chronicle on Tuesday before his departure that he would be back in Bulawayo early next week. He would, however, not be drawn into speaking about his future as he has previously directed the media to his employers.
Dube could not be drawn into speaking about the other positions in the technical team.
“We are still reviewing our performance at all levels,” he said.
Kaindu was assisted by Bekithemba Ndlovu and Tembo Chuma who were in charge when the club lost 0-4 to Harare City and drew 0-0 with Motor Action to concede the championship to Dynamos.
Willard Khumalo was the team manager and like the rest of the technical team, his contract ends on 31 December.
Dumaza Dube, Gift Lunga (Junior), Dan Ngwenya and Smart Moyo were in charge of the juniors who did well and almost half a dozen players are believed to be ripe to join the first team next year.
Online Reporter