When Highlanders appointed Benjani Mwaruwari as head coach in January, it divided opinion among the club’s faithful.
The former Warriors captain walked into one of Zimbabwean football’s biggest jobs amid controversy after Highlanders dramatically backtracked on the appointment of South African coach Thabo Senong, who had reportedly signed a two-year contract with the Bulawayo giants.
Many Bosso supporters questioned whether Mwaruwari was the right man for the job, while others were uncomfortable with the circumstances surrounding his appointment.
There was also a perception among some sections of the Highlanders family that businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s sponsorship package was tied to Mwaruwari taking over the technical bench, making him an imposed choice rather than the club’s preferred candidate.
The criticism was inevitable.
After all, Mwaruwari’s coaching credentials were still largely untested at the highest level in Zimbabwean football and Highlanders is not a club that affords coaches the luxury of time. Results are demanded almost immediately.
Six months later, however, Mwaruwari is slowly but surely proving that perhaps his critics judged him too early.
His greatest achievement this season cannot simply be measured by Highlanders’ position on the league table.
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Rather, it should be judged against the backdrop of the circumstances he has had to endure since taking charge.
This has been anything, but a normal season at Highlanders.
The players have repeatedly boycotted training over unpaid salaries and winning bonuses.
They have gone for three months without receiving their salaries while preparations for league matches were constantly disrupted by industrial action.
Any coach would struggle under such circumstances.
Yet Highlanders have remained competitive throughout the campaign.
There was a period when Bosso became the draw specialists of the league, frustrating supporters who felt the team was dropping valuable points.
Questions were asked about Mwaruwari’s cautious approach and whether he possessed the tactical acumen required at a club of Highlanders’ stature.
They were fair questions.
However, context matters.
How many coaches can prepare adequately for matches when they do not know whether their players will train during the week?
How many can consistently motivate players whose minds are occupied by unpaid salaries and unsettled family situations?
That has been Mwaruwari’s reality throughout the season.
Perhaps his greatest quality has been his man-management skills.
He has never publicly criticised his players for their industrial action, choosing instead to support them and acknowledge their professionalism.
Time and again, he has reminded everyone that footballers are family men who deserve to be paid for their work.
When Highlanders win, he praises his players.
When results are disappointing, he shoulders the responsibility.
That leadership appears to have resonated with the dressing room.
The latest evidence came on Sunday when Highlanders handed log leaders Scottland just their second defeat in 22 league matches this season.
Before their trip to Barbourfields Stadium, Scottland had gone nine matches unbeaten and appeared to be marching relentlessly towards the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title.
The only other team to have beaten Scottland this season is Simba Bhora.
That statistic alone deserves closer examination.
Scottland and Simba Bhora are among the league’s biggest spenders.
They have assembled squads laden with international players and seasoned campaigners.
Their players do not have to wonder whether they will train during the week or when they will receive their salaries.
Highlanders, on the other hand, have spent much of the season firefighting financial challenges.
Yet it is Mwaruwari’s side that has managed to stop Scottland in their tracks.
What made the victory over Scottland remarkable was not just the result itself, but what it represented.
It was another demonstration of a team refusing to become victims of their circumstances.
There is an argument to be made that no coach in the Premier Soccer League has had to work under more difficult circumstances this season than Mwaruwari.
While Norman Mapeza can call upon an expensively assembled Scottland squad and Simba Bhora continue to reap the benefits of stability on and off the field,
Mwaruwari has had to rely largely on his ability to motivate and manage his players through adversity.
Perhaps that explains why Highlanders supporters should look beyond the league table when assessing his performance.
Football history is littered with examples of dressing rooms turning against coaches when adversity strikes.
That has not happened at Highlanders.
Instead, Mwaruwari has managed to keep his players united and committed to the cause.
Despite their financial challenges, they continue to fight for the badge and their coach.
The Highlanders job has consumed coaches with far more impressive resumes.
Bosso supporters are among the most passionate and demanding in the country.
Draws often feel like defeats, while victories merely raise expectations for the next assignment.
The pressure never subsides.
Would Highlanders have accumulated more points had they enjoyed financial stability throughout the season?
It is impossible to know. What is clear, however, is that Mwaruwari has prevented a difficult situation from deteriorating into a disastrous one.
In fact, one could argue that Highlanders are punching above their weight given the circumstances.
Few would have predicted at the beginning of the season that a team repeatedly disrupted by salary disputes would remain competitive and claim the scalp of the league’s runaway leaders.
The controversy surrounding his appointment may never completely disappear and there will always be those who feel Highlanders should have gone in a different direction.
That is football.
What cannot be disputed, however, is that Mwaruwari has shown resilience, composure and leadership during one of the club’s most challenging periods in recent years.
He may not have silenced all his critics just yet, but he is certainly forcing many to reconsider their opinions.
For a man whose appointment was met with scepticism and resistance from sections of the Highlanders family, that is no small achievement.
