Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Bulawayo Bureau
6 January 2009
Harare — FORMER Zimbabwe and Highlanders winger Madinda Ndlovu is still to commit himself to the job of Bosso coach despite the club having named him their new technical manager at the weekend.
Ndlovu, who has been coaching in Botswana, was named the new Highlanders mentor in a shake-up of the club's coaching department that followed the dissolution of the technical team led by Reuben Tsengwa at the end of the 2008 season.
Highlanders chairman Ernest Sibanda told a Press briefing in Bulawayo at the weekend that they had appointed Ndlovu to take over as technical manager with Philani Mabhena and former goalkeeper Peter Nkomo coming in as assistants.
Ndlovu, a Bosso legend, had been expected to attend the Press conference, but the former Warriors forward was conspicuous by his absence from the briefing.
Madinda, who also took charge of the Young Warriors at the 2005 African Under-17 Championships in Gambia, yesterday refused to commit himself to the Bosso job, insisting that no deal had been thrashed out yet. He said there were some outstanding issues which needed to be finalised by tomorrow before he could be installed as the new Highlanders coach but confirmed that negotiations with the club management were ongoing.
"The truth of the matter is that there is nothing at the moment.
"I have my own demands that they will have to meet.
"We are still talking and I hope on Wednesday we will have finalised. I still have to go to Botswana and sort out some business and hopefully when I return we will conclude the issue," said Ndlovu.
However, a club official said his executive had, in principle, struck a deal with Ndlovu.
"I believe we have a deal with Ndlovu.
"We have spoken to him and agreed everything in principle. Perhaps what are left are just minor things, which cannot stop us from engaging him.
"The deal is as good as done and we have to move forward, but we respect his views as a professional coach," the official said.
Ndlovu's absence at the ceremony that had been ostensibly arranged to unveil him as the club's new coach must have left the Bosso management somewhat embarrassed.
Highlanders had their worst finish in a decade when coming out seventh in the just-ended CBZ Premiership season.
It is after such a poor season that the Bosso management sought to restructure their coaching department and turned to Madinda.
Madinda, elder brother to former Warriors strikers Peter and Adam, left Highlanders in 2006 and was replaced by Methembe Ndlovu, who guided Bosso to the championship in the same year.
Methembe then led Highlanders to a second place finish behind Dynamos in the Premiership in 2007.
Bosso also finished runners-up to DeMbare in the CBZ FA Cup in the same year.
Methembe was, however, surprisingly fired at the halfway stage last season and his replacement Tsengwa failed to breathe life into the side until his caretaker technical department was dissolved at the end of the 2008 season.
Now Bosso are turning to Madinda again as they seek lost glory.
Madinda quit Botswana side Nico last year after falling out of favour with the team's fans.
Bosso are also facing elections for a new executive after the start of next month.
The polls, in which incumbent Sibanda will face the challenges of Themba Ndlela and Mandla Moyo, have attracted a lot of interest in Bulawayo.
The post of secretary, held by Horace Ndubiwa, is also up for grabs and some of the names that have come up to challenge Ndubiwa include former Zifa councillor Andrew Tapela and Sihlangu Dlodlo.
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