Kaindu stays

Sport
HIGHLANDERS yesterday skirted the much-talked-about issue of coach Kelvin Kaindu’s performance at the club and instead dwelt on the skirmishes that characterised the end of the match against ZPC Kariba at Hartsfield Rugby Grounds on Sunday.

HIGHLANDERS yesterday skirted the much-talked-about issue of coach Kelvin Kaindu’s performance at the club and instead dwelt on the skirmishes that characterised the end of the match against ZPC Kariba at Hartsfield Rugby Grounds on Sunday. FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER

The Bosso executive committee met with the technical team a 1pm following the 1-3 defeat to ZPC Kariba before rushing to watch the Bantu Rovers and Hwange match at Hartsfield.

Chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede said after the meeting that they made an overview of violent behaviour of their fans after the match and the implications as Bosso could face the wrath of the Premier Soccer League.

“We had this week’s meeting at 1pm instead of 4pm as we wanted to go and watch the match (Bantu Rover and Hwange). These are our usual meetings that we hold. We didn’t review Sunday’s match, but we looked at what happened yesterday (Sunday) — the skirmishes and the consequences as there are financial implications. We are likely to be punished,” Gumede said.

Bosso fans turned violent after the match throwing missiles onto the pitch with players and officials from both sides seeking refuge in the centre circle under heavy guard from the police.

Gumede said the anger of the fans was not directed specifically at the coach or the players as chairman Peter Dube received an sms on his phone saying “Fire Gumede”.

Quizzed if they had touched on speculation that was rife that Kaindu had resigned after the shock defeat or if they had review Sunday’s match, Gumede said: “Nothing! Yesterday (Sunday) in military terms we can say we lost a battle and not the war. If we are going to lose the war it will be sometime in November.

Everyone thought Liverpool was going to win the title, did they win it?” Gumede quipped in a telephone interview while watching the Bantu Rovers-How Mine match.

Kaindu, who was at Hartsfield yesterday, reiterated that he was not going anywhere quashing rumours of quitting the Bulawayo giants.

“I am not going anywhere. I am still around. I work well with everybody,” Kaindu said.

The Zambian gaffer said he would not comment on the alleged strained relations between him and members of the technical team.

“Yesterday (Sunday) we did not show any zeal to fight and even the goals that were scored were simple goals. I work well with everyone. I don’t comment on those things (the relationship with other members of the technical team). I am not the right person to talk about that. I cannot even comment on what we remained talking about in the dressing room after the match,” he said.

There have been allegations of factions at Highlanders with claims that some players are aligned to Kaindu while others have their allegiance to assistant coach Mark Mathe, which has affected the performance of the team.

Gumede yesterday said the technical team had refuted the allegations.

“They reported back today (yesterday) and said they work as a team. There has been no ultimatum that has been given to anyone. We had just asked them to do an introspection,” Gumede said.

Highlanders lost to a more organised ZPC Kariba who dominated the entire second half of the game with veteran Limited Chikafa grabbing a brace and the third goal coming from Pride Tafirenyika.

Bosso scored through Rahman Kutsanzira, but the defeat did not go down well with the Highlanders fans who threw missiles onto the pitch after the match, with some chanting anti-Kaindu slogans.

Police had to fire teargas to disperse the rowdy fans. Highlanders are now seven points behind Dynamos who beat Shabanie Mine 1-0 on Sunday and have their next game against Caps United in Harare before taking on Chicken Inn and travelling to the Colliery for Hwange who were held 0-0 by relegation-threatened Bantu Rovers yesterday.