THE DRAMA at Highlanders will never end.
SUKOLUHLE MTHETHWA/THANDIWE MOYO
Following the 0-4 humiliation by Caps United in Harare on Sunday, the executive yesterday brought back former AmaZulu and Zimbabwe Saints coach Cosmas “Tsano” Zulu to the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League side for the team’s remaining five league matches and cup games as technical advisor.
Zulu joins the club at a time when Highlanders have been struggling on the field. They have managed just nine points out of a possible 30 in the second half of the season.
After the departure of head coach Kelvin Kaindu last week, assistant gaffer Mark Mathe was left in charge, but failed in his first assignment as interim coach. The new man received a baptism of fire in Harare, triggering another knee-jerk reaction from club leaders.
Highlanders chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede confirmed Zulu’s appointment yesterday.
“Cosmas Zulu has accepted an invitation to serve in the technical side,” he said. “He, however, has to extricate himself from his previous club. He is coming in on an advisory, leadership and mentorship role.
As a former player and manager, we love the fact that he is bringing in a wealth of experience. He is the perfect stand-in for the five games that remain in the league.
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“We look forward to working with Tsano. We have already advised the technical department to expect him any time when he wants to join. He is preparing to hand over property to his former club (Division Three side Talen Vision). Tomorrow (today) he will report for duty officially.”
Zulu said he was glad to be back at the club that helped him launch his coaching career.
“The first thing I would like to tell you is that I am a former player of this club in particular, coach of the club, a life member and technical manager,” he said.
“Who am I to say I cannot come when Highlanders need my help? Highlanders paid for all my coaching certificates and sent me to England in 1992 for six weeks where I was attached to Coventry FC to learn about coaching and soccer administration.
“It is payback time. Besides I won everything with Highlanders, any trophy you can mention I got it from 1981 to 1995. I am bringing in 47 years of football experience. I started football in 1967.”
Zulu said he would use his experience to assist Bosso.
“I think with that little experience I can help my team. That is why I am back,” he said.
Asked about his expectations from the Highlanders players for the upcoming games, Zulu said: “It is difficult for me to answer because I have not met the players to actually talk to them, look them in the eye and see if they are prepared to do what I want them to do.
“I cannot answer that until I work for one or two days with the boys. I will see whether they are responding. With football you cannot comment until you have started working. After about a week or so I will have a lot of things to say. I will be starting tomorrow (today).”
Zulu, who also assisted Luke Masomere at AmaZulu as technical advisor to win the league title in 2003, would be working with Mathe and Peter Nkomo to try and salvage what is left of the season, starting with the weekend’s Chibuku Super Cup semi-final against Harare City at Rufaro Stadium.
