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Bongani Mafu

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Highlanders executive has resolved to fire head coach Bongani Mafu today after a series of poor results that have left them on the verge of joining the relegation battle.

A Bosso official told Chronicle Sport yesterday that the club will hand the under-fire Mafu his dismissal letter this afternoon following poor results that have condemned the Bulawayo giants to within seven points of the drop zone.

The defeat by FC Platinum and Whawha triggered calls for Mafu’s dismissal.

The official said Sunday’s 2-3 loss to log leaders Chicken Inn was the last straw.

“It’s confirmed; the guy is going. He will be given his letter of dismissal tomorrow afternoon,” said the official.

“In fact his fate was sealed last week when we lost to Whawha, but the club gave him the Chicken Inn game to save his job, which he failed.”

The official said Mafu should have been fired on Monday night, but the review meeting did not take place as the executive committee did not constitute a quorum. Club chairman Peter Dube and his deputy Mgcini Mpofu were attending a Supersport workshop in Harare while treasurer Donald Ndebele is out of the country and this left secretary-general Emmet Ndlovu and committee member Wisdom Mabhena as the only available executive committee members.

“The meeting has since been scheduled for tomorrow and I can safely tell you that by this time tomorrow, Mafu will no longer be Highlanders’ coach,” said the official.

It was not immediately clear last night who will take over from Mafu, but Highlanders players told Chronicle Sport that assistant coach Mandla Mpofu was in charge of the team’s training session yesterday while Mafu stood quietly on the touchline before leaving without saying a word.

With junior coaches Dumaza Dube, Melusi Sibanda and Gift Lunga Jnr doing well, one of them is likely to be promoted to assist Mpofu in the event that the former Chicken Inn and Bantu Rovers coach takes over.

Mafu has been under pressure from the first game of the season that Bosso lost 0-2 to ZPC Kariba. This was the first time in 18 years Bosso had lost the opening game of the season.