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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
DUTCH coach Erol Akbay has broken his silence following a barrage of criticism in the wake of Highlanders loss of form in the Castle Lager Premiership campaign, with the gaffer insisting he was doing his best in difficult circumstances.
Bosso hit their lowest point this year, when they became the first team to lose to lowly Tsholotsho 0-1 at Barbourfields on Wednesday.
Until then Tsholotsho, who are very much in danger of relegation, had not won a match in 21 attempts since the start of the season.
It was such an embarrassing a defeat for Bosso and that it happened in their Barbourfields fortress mirrored the tough times that have struck the Premiership giants.
The defeat, Highlanders’ sixth, followed losses to ZPC Kariba at Nyamhunga and a scrambled draw against Harare City at home and predictably some daggers have been drawn against Akbay in the wake of the Tsholotsho defeat.
That the coach announced two weeks ago he would not renew his contract sharply divided opinion among the Bulawayo giants’ supporters, with some accusing Akbay of making an ill-timed pronouncement.
Others felt the Dutchman should have either immediately quit, rather than indicate he would leave at the end of the season and send a wrong signal to his players and the club.
The contention was that Akbay might not work with the same zeal, knowing he would be leaving in December.
Those fighting in the coach’s corner have, however, asked the Bosso management to look at themselves critically and assess whether they have also created the right platform that could help make Highlanders a competitive outfit worthy of the championship title.
Bosso last won a Premiership title under Methembe Ndlovu in 2006, while Akbay guided them to a third place finish in his first season with them last year.
“You cannot blame the coach when you sell your best players and you can’t replace them,’’ said the Dutchman.
‘’I don’t feel any pressure because I am doing my job very well and we are creating chances in all our matches, even with the young players that I have got.
“Against Tsholotsho, we created many good chances, but we are not so good from midfield going forward and we are working on that.
“At the back, we have been doing great and when we have lost, we haven’t lost by bigger margins.’’
In June, the expatriate coach had to make do with a team that had not trained ahead of their game against Black Rhinos as the players had boycotted training over unpaid bonuses.
Bosso subsequently lost that encounter against Rhinos 3-0.
More worryingly for Akbay, though, is the fact that in the two years that he has been at Bosso, he has lost some of the best talent.
In 2016, Bosso lost Bruce Kangwa to Tanzania outfit Azam, while chief striker Knox Mutizwa was sold to Bidvest Wits in South Africa.
It has been the same tale this season, with two key forwards — Rodreck Mutuma and Prince Dube — also leaving before the season had ended.
Mutuma joined Premiership debutants Yadah Stars, while Dube was snapped up by SuperSport United in South Africa.
“I have asked the club to buy players, but the money has not been there.
“If you want to be champions, you cannot win with juniors only, you have to get some experience,’’ Akbay said.
Just like their major rivals Dynamos, Highlanders have been reeling from a cut in the sponsorship package they get from BancABC and the two giants continue to rely heavily on the revenue from the gates.
Online Reporter