WE TRIED TO BACK BRITO, SAYS BOSSO CHAIRMAN

Innocent Kurira

Sports Reporter 

HIGHLANDERS chairman Johnfat Sibanda says they tried to give Baltemar Brito all the support he needed but, at times, Bosso could not acquire all the players the Brazilian coach needed in his squad.

He feels full support should be given to new coach Kelvin Kaindu.

Sibanda will have to battle opponents to retain his post as Bosso boss this year.

Brito claimed he did not get the support he needed, particularly when it came to player recruitment.

The club failed to get Brito the services of Obriel Chirinda whom the coach believed was going to give Bosso an edge in the title race. 

Sibanda says the club tried their best to assist the coach. “If a player is beyond the Highlanders purse it’s difficult to bring him. If a player comes with conditions that probably Highlanders won’t meet, it’s difficult to bring them.

“The coach said we did not support him but perhaps he did not know the reasons behind it. 

“He would have identified a player and our negotiating team goes to talk to the player if they fail they fail, negotiations collapse, there would be good reasons why we failed to get the players,” said Sibanda.

He added:

 “It is every executive’s wish that if a coach says he needs a certain player, because they feel he can give the team this dimension in the squad, then the executive has to get the player. 

“We tried our best to get the players the previous coach wanted. There is no player from all the players the coach asked for that we did not make any effort to get. 

“Unfortunately, whether by fate or something else, we failed to get the players the coach needed but we tried. 

“It is every executive and administration’s dream to equip the coach with the equipment he wants. Not only players but everything including bonuses for players, training equipment and every other thing.”

Kaindu arrives at a time when FC Platinum has already managed to lure the Bosso duo of Mbongeni Ndlovu and midfielder Brighton Mhanhire.

Both players had their contracts with Bosso ending on December 31.

Andrew Tandi, Ray Lunga and Rahman Kutsanzira are reportedly some of the players that the Bulawayo giants are making frantic efforts to tie down despite them not contributing significantly last year.