BY FORTUNE MBELE might not be making any changes to their squad when the transfer window opens next Friday with coach Baltemar Brito saying he is content with what he has seen in the last two weeks.
Brito arrived in the country about three weeks ago together with his first assistant Antonio Torres to replace Mandla Mpofu and Bekithemba Ndlovu, and the Portuguese watched Highlanders beat Harare City 1-0 under the guidance of second assistant coach Joel Luphahla at Barbourfields Stadium before the break.
They have taken the team through its paces during the two-week Premier Soccer League break and Brito yesterday said he is happy with what is at his disposal going into the second half of the season.
Highlanders take on Black Rhinos at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday in the first second round match of the season after the army side dispatched them 2-0 when the season started in November last year.
“I am very satisfied with the squad that I have but we know that training is training and playing a game is playing a game and that means it will be during the game that we assess the true value of the players,” Brito said.
“Watching a player during training is different from watching a player during the game where he has to cope with emotions and pressure.
“I hope to have a team with good personality, players that are not afraid of making decisions, that like the game and have courage and have capacity to win the game … If all the details that we have spoken about, if our players do what we have seen at training during the game, we think we have a good squad to face the rest of the season.”
Former club midfielder Brian Banda and defender McClive Phiri could be bouncing back at the club with the club promoting attacking midfielder Prince Ndlovu from developmental side Bosso 90.
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Bosso captains Ariel Sibanda and Nqobizitha said they were enjoying the new regime and learning new tactics.
“Tactics are changing and it is not only playing football, but the mindset also has to change. Football is not all about just kicking the ball but one has to be focused and forget other things. We have been enjoying and I think so far so good,” Sibanda, who converted from the sport in the Harare City win, said.
His deputy Masuku also reckoned it’s a new era with the Portuguese gaffers.
“It’s not easy but football language is the same but now tactics are different, the mentality is different and there are different ideas that are coming in terms of how we approach the game,” he said.
“We are trying our best to grasp whatever they are teaching us and whatever they are trying to implement and what is important is to implement that on the match day.”
- Follow Fortune on Twitter@fmbele
