Highlanders coach to fans: Beat up players if we continue producing poor results. Premiership giants Highlanders FC head coach Mandla Mpofu has ‘implored’ the clubs supporters to beat up his players if the team continues with its streak of poor results.
Mpofu said this during a pre-match press briefing held at the club’s offices on Thursday morning ahead of Bosso’s next assignment over the weekend. Highlanders are set to host WhaWha on Sunday afternoon at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.
The kick-off time is 3pm. His remarks come after his side has gone for 270 minutes without a victory or even a goal this season. In three of the matches they have played at the moment, Bosso has been defeated twice and drew once.
They lost 1-0 away in their 2021/22 opener to army side Black Rhinos before playing to a 0-0 stalemate with Ngezi Platinum Stars at home. Moreover, they surprisingly lost 1-0 to Manica Diamond at Sakubva Stadium in Mutare before a long break was induced by the PSL last year December.
However, the optimistic Mpofu has opted to turn a blind eye to the ‘unfavourable’ results. He anticipates his first victory of the 2021/22 campaign on Sunday against the Gweru based side.
But according to the gaffer’s message to the club’s fans, failure to win against WhaWha whom he also admitted are a strong side and an extended continuity of the team’s winless run should result in his players being beaten up by supporters.
“I think it’s high time we win games because we have done our part as the technical team to make sure we sharpen the team and make sure that they go into the game every Sunday and produce positive results,” he said.
“It high time that if they (players) don’t win beat them, we are tired of the poor results because we always go into a match with a positive mind to win. “However, since it’s a game of football we also know that we win some, lose some and draw some but that is the message.”
To bolster his squad, Lulu as Mpofu is also known, acquired three new players namely; striker Stanley Ngala, utility player Rahman Kutsanzira as well as 19-year-old goalkeeper Raphael Pitisi.
He also revealed his plans to bring on board another outright striker and a creative midfielder to ensure he turns his squad into a free-scoring team. The ex-Chicken Inn assistant coach has ample time to bring in some of his targets after the PSL extended the transfer window up to the 31st of March.
However, the club’s acting CEO Ronald Moyo said the ongoing window has not been easy for the giants who have so far failed to secure several players who were the coach’s top targets.
Moyo indicated that the situation has been induced by the pursued players’ high expectations since the club secured a lucrative deal with a giant oil company Sakunda Holdings last year.
“Coming on board of Sakunda Holdings as our main sponsor has brought too much expectations financially and it made it difficult for us to sign every player that was target by our coach.
“The window hasn’t been easy for us because some targeted players were demanding too much and as a club we work according to a budget so we couldn’t afford them,” Moyo revealed.
Source – Nehanda Radio
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