MARK Mathe took charge of Highlanders’ training session at St Columba’s yesterday afternoon as confusion reigned on head coach Kelvin Kaindu’s status at the club. FORTUNE MBELE/ THANDIWE MOYO
Mathe and goalkeepers’ coach Peter Nkomo were already at the training venue when Southern Eye arrived and were joined by team manager Willard Mashinkila Khumalo later on as they began preparations for next week’s tie against Caps United in Harare.
Bosso chief executive Ndumiso Gumede said he was not aware that Kaindu was not at training as he had left the club’s city offices saying he was going to settle his accounts.
Kaindu allegedly parted ways with Highlanders at the club’s meeting on Monday afternoon, 24 hours after the 1-3 loss to ZPC Kariba at Hartsfield Rugby Grounds which ended in violence.
While Gumede and Kaindu earlier in the day took turns to deny they had parted ways, other members of the executive committee and a city lawyer confirmed that the coach’s three-year stay at the club had ended.
A member of the executive committee told Southern Eye Sport reporters on Monday that Kaindu had quit and asked them to call Gumede to confirm the resignation.
“He is gone. Phone Gumede tomorrow (yesterday) morning and he will give you the story,” the member said.
However, after numerous calls to Gumede on his mobile phone and at the club offices, the Bosso boss stood by his word and denied that the Zambian gaffer had resigned.
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“I told you in the morning that it is not true. I have not received any resignation. I am the one who is supposed to receive the resignation letter. Right now I am busy writing the minutes of yesterday’s (Monday) meeting,” Gumede, who became grumpy and said he would ask his personal assistant not to put this reporter through, said.
Gumede, who was with Kaindu at the offices, then handed the phone to the Zambian gaffer, who had earlier in the morning denied that he had quit, and also stood by his word.
“I spoke to you in the morning. I am still around,” Kaindu said.
Earlier, Kaindu had said: “It is not true (the resignation). I am still here and will be at training in the afternoon.”
But he was nowhere to be seen when training commenced at 4pm.
However, some sources within the Bosso executive confirmed that Kaindu had resigned and said the club was due to issue a joint statement with the coach after reaching an amicable agreement — the major issues being money.
Another source said Kaindu had confirmed that he had resigned, but a consensus could have been reached between the two parties for him to handle the last six games of the season and their Chibuku Super Cup journey where they are in the semi-finals.
“The truth of the matter is that he resigned during the meeting yesterday (Monday). What could be happening is that they have could have persuaded him to stay on or his resignation has conditions. Probably the relationship will last until the end of the season. But the truth is that he told them yesterday (Monday), that he was quitting. He is a gentleman and wanted to leave with dignity,” the source said.
Kaindu bade farewell to the players in the dressing room after the Sunday match. Club chairman Peter Dube yesterday said he was not aware of Kaindu’s resignation referring questions to Gumede.
“He (Gumede) normally handles those issues unless they were issues of policy. Whatever is happening on the ground would be handled by the chief executive officer. If he has handed in his resignation, I am not aware, but I will be going to the office to check,” Dube said.
Yesterday morning, a social network Facebook account, Highlanders FC Bosso ran with a post which read: “The head coach Kevin Kaindu officially tendered his resignation yesterday after being with us for almost three years where he twice finished joint top with only goal difference separating us from eventual winners.
In 2013 he won the Mbada Cup. He leaves the team currently sitting on position four with six games to go and trailing leaders by seven points. He also leaves the team in the semi-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup. May God bless him wherever he goes. The executive has not come up with the final position on replacing him.”
Another account, Highlanders FC, with the largest number of followers (close to 35 000) said: “Yah, it is so.
It’s end of the road for Kelvin Kaindu (sic).”
However, Gumede yesterday dismissed the Facebook accounts as unofficial.
“They (the accounts) are all unofficial. There is nothing like that. We do have an account, but someone keeps hacking into it and posting untruths to say that there was a meeting with the coach yesterday (Monday) and he tendered his resignation. There is nothing like that,” Gumede said.
Last year, Southern Eye ran a story that Highlanders had launched an official website and Facebook account, which were confirmed by chairman Dube.
The Facebook account is Highlanders FC Bosso and has close to 5 000 followers.
