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Bongani Mafu

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
UNDER fire Highlanders FC coach Bongani Mafu has appealed to club supporters to exercise patience and restraint at a time when the team is working on getting the right formulae.

While acknowledging that the team has been delivering shoddy performances especially at their fortress — Emagumeni, Mafu believes that the tense Barbourfields Stadium atmosphere created by die-hard Bosso loyalists sometimes intimidates his charges.

“I know we need to give Highlanders supporters good football and believe you me, the quality of football that we’re playing hasn’t been exemplary. It’s not the playing philosophy that I believe in and which the club wants to see, which is good, passing and quick football. If we lose having played well, I know the supporters will go home happy but we’re not playing well,” said Mafu during the club’s weekly press briefing.

“I would like to encourage supporters to rally behind the lads during matches. Those boys are there for the crowd and the supporters are our 12th player. We need them to come to the party so that when the boys get to Barbourfields, they feel that they’re playing at home. Of late, the boys feel intimidated when going to Barbourfields and it’s easier for teams to play us at home because they know that to get at us, they’ve to frustrate our fans and at the end of the day the boys fear to make mistakes.”

He said he was aware that exciting football ignites the support of Highlanders followers and appealed for patience when the chips are down.

Mafu also said he understood supporters’ frustrations over results but pleaded with them to refrain from using obscenities against their own players.

The Bosso coach said on many occasions he has had insults hurled at him with his charges close by.

“I believe that the buck stops with me and if we’re playing rubbish football I’m answerable for the result.

“It’s my responsibility to reshape the team hence I admitted in one of the post-match interviews that we didn’t play well. However, some insults really shock my players and at the end of the day they’re psychologically affected such that playing football becomes difficult.”

Highlanders take on Whawha at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday hoping to bounce back from a 1-2 defeat to Chicken Inn.

Bosso — on position eight with 14 points after 10 matches — trail pacesetters Chicken Inn by nine points and can’t afford any slip-ups at this stage.

Their opponents are second from the bottom and with Bosso’s performances at Barbourfields woeful, Whawha might fancy their chances of going back to Gweru with at least a point.

Already, Whawha have shown great pedigree while playing against tough opposition, claiming the scalps of defending champions Dynamos and FC Platinum in their only two victories of the season.

And with Highlanders missing at least half of their regular players, Whawha could have everything to play for.

Highlanders are without suspended captain Felix Chindungwe, the quartet of Douglas Sibanda, Nqobizitha Masuku, Thomas Chideu and Teenage Hadebe who are on national duty.

The fading Bulawayo giants are also missing the services of injured Gabriel Nyoni, goalkeeper Takunda Mutanga and Ozias Zibande while Erick Mudzingwa is subject to a late fitness test.