HIGHLANDERS will engage yet another foreign coach for the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season after the departure of Zambian Kelvin Kaindu amid wide spread speculation that a gaffer from South Africa is on his way to the fading Bulawayo giants. FORTUNE MBELE/RONALD MOYO Kaindu “quit” Bosso in September following a 1-3 defeat to ZPC Kariba at Hartsfield Rugby Ground leaving his assistant Mark Mathe in charge until the end of the season. Highlanders finished on fifth position.
Some names that have been thrown around for the Bosso hot seat next year are those of former AmaZulu coach Craig Roslee of South Africa, Bloemfontein Celtic’s German coach Ernst Middendorp and former Maritzburg United coach Clinton Larsen.
Roslee parted ways with AmaZulu last month with his assistant, Wilfred Mugeyi, taking over.
Larsen has been on the sidelines in the South African top-flight after he was sacked by Maritzburg United at the beginning of the year where he made way for Steve Komphela.
Sources last week said the coach earmarked for the Bosso job was supposed to be in the country to watch Highlanders play their last league match against Chapungu United at Hartsfield, but that was not to be.
Bosso chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede hinted that Highlanders could employ a foreign coach saying he had received an application from a South African gaffer, but could not be drawn to reveal any names.
“I have an application from a South African coach, but obviously they would not want me to tell you they have applied,” he said.
“I actually have 10 applications. It is open and it is going to be a long process. We were not anticipating that our coach would go.”
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Earlier on Tuesday, Gumede said the policy of appointing former players to head the technical department was a thing of the past after he was asked about the Dynamos success with former player Kalisto Pasuwa and some European clubs who had succeeded under their former players.
Gumede said Highlanders had passed that phase as they realised that using former players was not bringing results.
“It is them (European clubs) who copied from us,” he said.
“I can tell you that in the 1970s and 1980s we had people like Silas Ndlovu and James Nxumalo who used to play for the team and later on became coaches.”
“Recently we had the likes of Methembe (Ndlovu), Rahman Gumbo, Madinda Ndlovu and Willard Khumalo who did that.
“We are now adopting a new strategy, we have passed that phase. There is what is called cross pollination which will help us find new influence.
“Chances are high that we are hiring a foreign coach after the departure of Kelvin Kaindu.”
In the recent past, Bosso has employed two foreign coaches, Egyptian Mohamed Fathi and Kaindu, the latter being a former Highlanders player.
It is yet to be seen if the Peter Dube-led Highlanders executive will follow his predecessor Themba Ndlela’s committee in appointing a coach before the executive elections next year for the chairman, secretary and committee member’s posts currently held by Dube, Andrew Tapela and Charles “Six-One” Moyo.
Ndlela appointed Kaindu in 2012 and was replaced by Dube who renewed the gaffer’s contract this year, giving him another two years before the Zambian quit under pressure in September.
Other coaches that have been linked to Highlanders are former Hwange and FC Platinum’s Zambian native Tennant Chilumba who is with Power Dynamos in his homeland, UK-based Bongani Mafu, locals Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu, Philani “Beefy” Ncube, former player Mkhuphali Masuku and of late former Dynamos’ Elvis Chiweshe who once played for Eagles in Bulawayo.
Madinda Ndlovu, enjoying his stay at Botswana side Township Rollers, and Rahman Gumbo, who is also in Botswana with Gaborone United, have also been mentioned as favourites for the hot seat.
