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Sikhumbuzo Moyo

Senior Sports Reporter

HIGHLANDERS have clarified that assistant coach Amini Soma-Phiri is third in the club’s technical team set up and reports to technical director Cosmas Zulu and head coach Erol Akbay.

New Highlanders vice-chairman Morden Ngwenya told a press conference yesterday that Soma-Phiri’s contract stipulates that he reports to the technical manager and technical director, while Zulu reports to Akbay.

“Phiri has a signed document, which states clearly that he reports to the technical manager (Akbay), and also to the technical director (Zulu),” said Ngwenya, after being asked to clarify the technical staff’s hierarchy.

“He (Phiri) signed a contract and whatever your boss says you must adhere to otherwise it will be viewed as insubordination,” Ngwenya said.

He said the club’s executive viewed the duo’s fallout seriously and would soon call for a press conference to spell out their course of action.

“We take the differences between our two coaches very seriously and this is the reason why we are meeting everyday now to try and find common ground. Ordinarily we meet on Mondays, but now we are meeting daily so that we reach a compromise, but at the moment the two chaps are working together and the structure has not changed until such a time we deem necessary,” said Ngwenya.

Zulu has in the last two games publicly overruled Soma-Phiri’s decision to sanction player interviews.

Ngwenya’s explanation, however, is likely to further escalate tension between the two.

A club source said Soma-Phiri probably did not read and understand his contract, which clearly states his role at Highlanders.

“Probably he (Soma-Phiri) was just happy that he had been offered a job at Highlanders and failed to read the contract carefully. It states that he reports to the head coach and Zulu,” said the source.

The source said the executive was also in the process of reviewing Zulu’s contract so that it’s in line with the club’s football needs.

During Highlanders’ ZNA Charities Shield game against Chicken Inn last Sunday, Zulu was listed as the goalkeepers’ coach and Phiri assistant coach on the team sheet.

Meanwhile, Akbay has named his 29-member squad for the 2016 season.

He said they were still looking for a player to fill the last slot, but indications are that it has been left vacant to accommodate injured right-back Webster Chingodza, who still has a running contract with the club.

There were no surprises in the list though, with the coach saying his starting 11 against Chicken Inn in the ZNA Charities Shield quarter-final match was his probably team for the season. He said juniors would be gradually fused into the first team with time.

Bosso 2016 squad

Ariel Sibanda, Njabulo Nyoni, Prosper Matutu, Erick Mudzingwa, Felix Chindungwe, Honest Moyo, Julius Daudi, Tendai Ndlovu, Tendai Ngulube, Benson Phiri, Peter Muduhwa, Simon Munawa, Douglas Sibanda, Rahman Kutsanzira, Bruce Kangwa, Godfrey Makaruse, Adrian Silla, Brian Banda, Danmore Chikwana, King Nadolo, Ralph Matema, Knox Mutizwa, Gabriel Nyoni, Prince Dube, McCathy Dube, Kasimero Chidzakwa, Thembalethu Mthunzi, Bukhosi Ncube, Nkosana Ndlovu