BY FORTUNE MBELE HIGHLANDERS yesterday named Portuguese Baltemar José de Oliveira Brito as its new coach, who immediately promised to awaken the “sleeping giant”.
Brito (70) arrived in Bulawayo yesterday accompanied by the club’s new assistant coach, Antonio Joao Martins Leao Torres and the two men will sit on the bench on Sunday when Highlanders take on Harare City, their first Castle Lager Premier Soccer League assignment.
The Portuguese, who has worked as assistant to Roma coach Jose Mourinho’s assistant, yesterday said for a club of Highlanders caliber and magnitude to have last won the league title in 2006 mean something was amiss and he was in the country to awaken the sleeping giant.
“Highlanders is team that has many supporters in the country, the best team in the country. So, a club with that magnitude of supporters and with the history that it has, has been unwell since 2006 when they last won the championship and for a club with this kind of supporters; if they don’t win, it means something is not well; so, we have come to make it better and wake up the giant,” said Brito, who spoke in Portuguese with Torres interpreting.
“We are here to improve the team, week by week. We will draw a plan to make it better. The only thing that we can promise you is a lot of work. If we work together week by week and day by day I am sure we can win more times than has happened before.”
He said the upcoming two-week break in the league will come in handy for the two coaches, who are joined in the technical team by Joel Luphahla.
“I have seen some games and still in the process of collecting some information to understand the environment better. The two-week break will be important for us so that we know the environment and other teams better. It is not easy to find that information, to know about the league, the other teams and the players but now we are here and the trust that the club has on us we will work on the club together,” Brito said.
He said he was happy to be in the country.
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“It’s a pleasure to be in the country and for me, I am proud to be the new head coach of Highlanders. I hope to find a strong team with character and personality so that I can put Highlanders in the position where they belong, that is the first position on the table not in the short-term but to work hard because our contract is not to the end of the season but it’s one and half years,” he said.
Brito is a holder of a Uefa Pro badge while Torres, also a Portuguese national, holds a Uefa B badge.
Highlanders secretary Morgen Dube said the duo has obtained work permits.
“I can safely say the gentlemen are here because all the necessary documentation has been put in place. They started work as soon as they got into the office. We have employed the two gentlemen and all the stakeholders are aware,” Dube said.
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