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Peter Dube

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS chairman Peter Dube has read the riot act to the coaches following the 5-6 penalty shoot out loss to FC Platinum in the semi-finals of the Independence Cup played at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.The match had ended 0-0 in regulation time in a match the Lloyd Mutasa-coached lads could have wrapped up during that period, especially the first half and the better part of the second half.

In fact the platinum miners were in charge of the match for almost 80 minutes, especially in midfield where Thabani Kamusoko toyed around the Bulawayo giants’ players, a majority of whom could have made models grin with envy with their fancy hairstyles.

Kudakwashe Mahachi and Welcome Ndiweni sported ginger hair while Charles Sibanda and Njabulo Ncube had dreadlocks with second half substitute, Cleopas Dube sporting a Balotelli cut.

The loss was the fourth straight defeat that Highlanders have suffered so far in the pre-season games and chairman Dube feels its now high time that everyone in the technical team did some serious introspection as to why they are there.

The multitude of their supporters have all the reasons to be even worried about the losses because the Castle Lager Premiership gets underway this weekend with Bosso visiting Chapungu on Sunday. The entire Chapungu technical bench and players watched Highlanders losing to FC Platinum on Sunday.

“We need to ask ourselves whether we are doing any justice to the team, fans and indeed sponsors. It’s really not enough what has been done and the sooner we improve the better,” said Dube.

Asked whether his executive would give the coaches an ultimatum, the Highlanders chairman said while the pre-season results were worrying, such a move was too drastic.

“It will frighten people,” said Dube. There has been talk of 12 points within the first four games. These losses are worrisome and disturbing to us as an executive but we need to handle it in the best possible way all for the good of Highlanders. People want to see a winning team, a team that plays entertaining football,” said Dube.

He added: “These mini tournaments that we have lost had money which the club desperately needs but we lost all of them and I feel we need to tighten up our belts and get this institution working. We are going to review the match as an executive tonight (yesterday).”

Meanwhile, Dube expressed his regret over the conduct of stand-in coach Mark Mathe who locked himself in the dressing room soon after the match instead of granting the media a post match interview.

The last time Mathe led Bosso to victory, he patiently waited for members of the media.

“Generally its nice, win or lose to let the public know what happened and where you would have got it right or wrong. We will strongly emphasise to the guys the importance of engaging the media, regardless of the result,” said Dube.

If the match was a PSL one, Mathe would have faced a fine of $125 while the club would have been hit for $500.

“That was not a PSL match but it was run by Zifa, that is why the players were even wearing jerseys with different names. They would not have done that for our match,” said the PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele.