adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches’ Association (ZSCA) has alleged that constant disregard of contractual agreements by Bulawayo giants Highlanders was the major reason no local coach has applied for the vacant Bosso coaching job.
Bosso are on the hunt for a new coach to replace Bongani Mafu, who was axed three months before the end of his contract. Highlanders’ chairman Peter Dube has since claimed that some dark forces hounded Mafu and his predecessor Kelvin Kaindu out of the club.
Eight foreign coaches, among them former Warriors’ coach Clemence Westerhof, Desmond Buplin, Jeff Cook, Erol Akbay, Kinnah Phiri, an unnamed Brazilian and some South African nationals have submitted their CVs to Highlanders for consideration.
ZSCA secretary-general Oscar Mazhambe said it was always an honour and privilege for a coach to land the Highlanders job and coaches would normally fall over each other submitting their CVs for consideration, but the way the club has been treating them had seen their members shunning Bosso.
“It’s always sad when a fellow coach gets fired and at Bosso it’s even humiliating. Coaches are given contracts with specific set targets, but all those guidelines are ignored during the course of the season. For instance, you’re given a target of finishing in the top four and going for the big one the following season, but barely into your first season, upon realising that you’re producing results, the executive will tell you that the championship is now the target,” said Mazhambe.
He said it was also the reason Highlanders have been overlooking their once thriving junior policy.
“Which coach in his right senses will throw in a 17-year-old when he has been told to win the championship? Under normal circumstances, you throw in youngsters during the second half of the season as you prepare them for more game time for the following year. Coaches are human beings too with egos.
“They discuss and interact among themselves and the situation at Bosso clearly isn’t one that can attract a huge interest now. Who wants to be humiliated?” said Mazhambe.
Bosso are expected to unveil a new coach before the end of the season to start preparing for 2016, although some members and supporters have been calling for the immediate appointment of a substantive assistant coach who understands the culture and demands of the club.
They want the assistant coach to be a former Bosso player.
Online Reporter