Bosso coach having sleepless nights Mark Harrison

Tadious Manyepo, Harare Bureau
HIGHLANDERS coach Mark Harrison is having sleepless nights with his heart split between the safety of his family members, dotted across the coronavirus hotspots, and his players.

Already, his Norway-based brother, Andrew, is in quarantine, three weeks after he tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.

His 87-year-old mother in the UK, one of the worst hit parts in the world, is in isolation with the gaffer’s daughter, Charlotte, a veterinary practitioner, always away on assignments, deepening Harrison’s worries.

The British mentor also has a son, former Harare City goalkeeper, Ryan, to think about.

Ryan hung his gloves at the age of 34 years, two years ago, and is learning to become a pilot in South Africa, the continent’s worst-hit country, which has recorded close to 1 400 cases so far.

And, of course, Harrison has to take care of individualised training programmes he has given to his Highlanders players as well as check on them as the country is on a 21-day lockdown.

“It’s worrying times across the world. I have my mother who is 87 years-old-back in the UK. She is in self isolation, so far so good. She is okay.

“Two of my brothers are again in self isolation, one in the UK and the other in Norway. The one in Norway (Andrew) has had the virus but is doing fine now, which is very fortunate.

“My daughter, Charlotte, is in the UK where she works as a veterinary practitioner and is classified as an essential worker.

‘’So, she is working at the moment and you know it is very difficult for me to feel comfortable as she is always out there.

‘’It is not easy to be over 6 000 miles away from your main family at a time like this,” he said.

Harrison is also concerned about his son Ryan.

“Ryan retired from football back in 2018, the last team he played for was Harare City,’’ the coach said.

“He went for an 18-month pilot training, which he is still undertaking in South Africa. Just praying he stays safe and finish the course.”

Back at Bosso, Harrison checks on his players regularly via cellphone and makes it a point that they post their training videos.

He said he was worried that by the time the season, which is currently on a two-month suspension, starts, teams would be forced to revert to another pre-season.

“My players are home. They are professional enough to look after themselves. They are doing everything they can to keep fit.

“Who knows what will happen after these three weeks, maybe they will be extended. And, after the break, probably we would have another pre-season, no one really knows.

“But, as I have always said, with the virus going around the world, players and their families ought to be safe.

“That is the only important thing at the moment, everything else is secondary.

“I am in Bulawayo with my wife. We stick in the house and only leave to buy foodstuffs. You got to respect this killer virus.”

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