adminHIGHLANDERS caretaker coach, Mark Mathe has dismissed rumours that he sabotaged former head coach Kelvin Kaindu saying his brief was to complete the job at hand.
Kaindu reached a mutual agreement to part ways with the club following a string of poor results in the second half of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season with the team managing only nine points out of a possible 27.
Two losses in a row against Harare City (away) and at home against ZPC Kariba a fortnight ago saw supporters pelting the team, leading to Kaindu’s departure.
Mathe said rumours would remain rumours and the reality on the ground was that results were not coming.
“I do not know where they (the rumours) are coming from and I can’t give them credence because we had been working well with Kaindu but results were eluding us. At this stage my focus is on the remaining games because we have to collect maximum points in our remaining matches and achieving set goals. I can’t be thinking about those things,” said Mathe, whose team faces Caps United in a league encounter today.
There has been no consensus in the Highlanders family on the reasons for the team’s poor performance with some blaming the players, others felt the coach had the final responsibility, while there were insinuations of sabotage by some members of the technical bench who were appointed by the executive without Kaindu’s consent. It is the norm in modern football that the head coach appoints his backroom staff.
The Bosso executive appointed Mathe as assistant coach and Peter “Oxo” Nkomo, as goalkeepers coach at the beginning of the year following the expiry of Bekithemba Ndlovu and Tembo Chuma’s contracts.
Welfare manager, Willard Khumalo was again accused of playing a role in sabotaging Kaindu following similar accusations last year that were quashed by the club.
Some fans have found it hard to back Mathe and there are concerns that he could be the target of hate by some supporters.
Highlanders’ member, Faith Silandulo Dube said Mathe was in a tight spot as whatever the result, he could be the target of blame.
“I think the person who is in a fix particularly from critics is Mathe. He can be a victim of victory on Sunday (today) because if he wins on Sunday, some may jump and say look, he was sabotaging Kaindu with the players.
“When he (Mathe) loses, some critics also might jump and say, look, Kaindu was not the real problem. However people should be above the personalities and look at the bigger interest which is Highlanders,” he said.
Online Reporter