No job for Soma-Phiri

Ricky Zililo in Bulawayo
NOT even guiding Highlanders to the Easycall Cup glory can persuade the Bosso management to give Amini Soma-Phiri the club’s coaching job. Soma-Phiri capped his short stint as Highlanders’ interim coach in style, beating league champions Chicken Inn 1-0 to win the NetOne top-eight sponsored Easycall Cup final at Barbourfields on Sunday. However, Highlanders’ chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede said the club remains resolute on bringing in a substantive gaffer, who is not Soma-Phiri, Cosmas “Tsano” Zulu or Melusi Sibanda, who were brought in to save the club in September.

The trio replaced the Bongani Mafu-led technical team, which included Mandla Mpofu, Peter “Captain Oxo” Nkomo and welfare manager Netsai Moyo. Following Sunday’s win, a real test that Soma-Phiri and his colleagues passed in style, bringing back the long lost smiles to the Bosso family, Gumede heaped praises on the technical team and said their job is done.

The trio had been mandated to save the club from relegation and finish in the league’s top eight as well as to reach the Easycall Cup final, which they did.

Gumede said it would be folly for the club’s leadership to listen to people that are calling for Soma-Phiri’s engagement as substantive head coach. “It might be dangerous to listen to people who say we must give Soma-Phiri the job. They must leave the club management to make the right decisions,” said Gumede.

The veteran administrator said the club was in the process of appointing a substantive gaffer, who is likely to arrive in time for the pre-season.

Highlanders have set their sights on hiring a foreign coach with long-serving club benefactor Tshinga Dube expected to help pay for the upkeep of that expatriate. Gumede defended the club’s stance of overlooking Soma-Phiri and his technical team, who even beat perennial rivals Dynamos 2-1 in the semi-finals of the Easycall Cup, the first time that Bosso had beaten their old enemies in a competitive game since 2006.

“On the coach’s situation, this process started the moment Mafu was relieved of his duties. That process is still continuing, but unfortunately it has taken long. At the moment negotiations are ongoing and are at an advanced stage.

“As for Soma-Phiri and his technical team, they are not going to get substantive positions and we’re not chasing them away because they’ve always been in the radar of Highlanders to assist. They will continue within the Highlanders circles,” said Gumede. Gumede said with Bosso adhering to the Fifa Club Licensing demands, Soma-Phiri, Zulu and Sibanda could get roles once the club establishes its academy.