By Sindiso Dube
HIGHLANDERS board of directors has thrown its weight behind under-fire coach Madinda Ndlovu, whose future had remained a subject of speculation in recent weeks following a spate of dreadful results.
The Bulawayo giants have struggled for fluency since the start of the campaign, and sit on second position from the bottom with a paltry four points, having drawn four and lost thrice. And the 3-0 defeat to Chicken Inn appeared to have been the final straw for the former Warriors and Bosso winger.
The Bosso legend cast a frustrated figure at the final whistle and walked briskly to the dressing room.
That he took almost an eternity to come and face the media for a post-match interview fuelled speculation that he had decided to throw in the towel.
“I cannot tell if any change can happen in the coming games, judging from this afternoon’s match. Tempers are still high in camp, the players are low in spirit and I have only encouraged them to soldier on,” said Madinda looking dejected and downcast.
“They are Highlanders with me or without me. That’s the same crop that will play in the next game next weekend. One game can change the situation whether I am there or not.”
However, the club hierarchy believes the Bosso gaffer still has a role to play and in a statement released by executive chairman Kenneth Mhlope, following a meeting between the executive and the technical team on Monday, the executive backed Ndlovu to stay on.
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“The meeting we held on Monday was fruitful and we, as the executive, and the technical team agreed that as much as the team is not producing desired results, there are plenty of positives to talk about from the team’s previous matches,” he said.
“The executive vowed to support the technical team and the players, who are of course, like every stakeholder, concerned and disturbed by the team’s poor start. As summed up by the team’s pre-match war cry/motto ‘At Highlanders, we are one’, we win and lose as a team. It is the responsibility of each and everyone of us to support our team because it is during such difficult times that the players and the technical team need us the most.”
He added that after the meeting with the technical team, they saw it fit to engage players to show them support and give them confidence.
“We have a youthful, delightful and able squad with the appetite for success, so I have no doubt that once it discovers its winning mojo, we shall be treated to good results for the better part of the season,” part of Mhlope’s statement read.
Bosso face Herentals in their next match at the weekend.
