BULAWAYO football giants Highlanders have banned their head coach Bongani Mafu from talking to the media with that responsibility now falling on chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede.
BY SAKHELENI NXUMALO
Gumede confirmed the new development to NewsDay Sport yesterday.
“The coach was being swamped with some of you journalists even going to the extent of putting words in his mouth, so the club decided to strip him of the responsibility of speaking to the media so that he can concentrate on coaching the team,” Gumede. Mafu will only entertain questions from the media during post-match interviews, with Gumede taking care of business during the week.
Asked if he would be able to address technical matters, the veteran football administrator said: “That will not be a problem as I will ask the technical team and then relay the answer back to whoever will be doing the asking.”
Mafu has not enjoyed a good start to his tenure as Highlanders coach with Bosso having endured an indifferent start to the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign.
Highlanders sit on an unfamiliar position seven on the 16-team log with seven points from five games. Two wins against Tsholotsho and Hwange, a draw against Buffaloes and two losses against ZPC Kariba and Chapungu have left Mafu under pressure from the hard-to-please Bosso faithful who last tasted PSL glory in 2006.
What may have irked the Highlanders leadership is a story that appeared in the media in the wake of Bosso’s surprise defeat to Chapungu in their last match.
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Mafu was quoted in the story saying even Jesus Christ would be unable to coach Bosso because of the impatient nature of the team’s fans.
Bosso fans at the Soweto stand took to song and dance to voice their disapproval of their team’s showing after the loss to Chapungu, who prior to that largely unexpected win had not only been winless, but were also yet to find the target.
After leaving Barbourfields Stadium, the fans made their way to the Highlanders clubhouse where they continued with their peaceful demonstration hoping the Highlanders executive would address them, but this was not to be.
