TASKED with a mandate to keep Bulawayo City afloat in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, coach Amini Soma-Phiri said he will take a ruthless approach and boot out some players in order to create room for better personnel during the mid-season transfer window that opens on July 1.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
After securing his second win in seven outings with a win over struggling Mutare City Rovers at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday, Soma-Phiri who took over from Darlington Dodo in the beginning of May, said the two-week league break will give him an opportunity to re-align the local authority owned side.
The former Highlanders mentor said he will be beefing up the side amid revelations that he is not happy with some senior players in the team and was not amused with goalkeeper Takudzwa Ndoro and reserve goalkeeper Aaron Ngwenya who refused to travel for the away game against Caps United which City lost after the only goalkeeper who travelled Wellington Muuya was sent off.
Ndoro was, however, guarding the posts against Mutare City with Ngwenya on the bench.
City finished the first half of the season on position 12 after winning two games, losing four and playing one draw with 14 points.
Soma-Phiri has ruled out relegation although they are only three points above bottom-placed Mutare City Rovers.
“I have two weeks to take out some players and beef up the team. I have done my homework and I have no pressure at all, relegation is out,” Soma-Phiri said. The coach said he was looking at bringing in five new faces to the squad with sources saying he is targeting Highlanders’ Denzel Khumalo and Division One side Zim Leopards’ Benson Phiri among others.
