Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
SAVING Bulawayo City FC against relegation from the topflight league will secure acting coach Bekithemba Ndlovu a substantive job at the local authority bankrolled club.
Ndlovu has been elevated to City’s hot-seat, becoming the club’s third coach in the 2018 season after Darlington Dodo and Amini Soma-Phiri who were fired following a string of poor results.
Ndlovu, a former Highlanders and How Mine assistant coach, began his “save Bulawayo City” mission with a 0-1 home defeat to FC Platinum on Saturday, in a match that they could have at least salvaged a point as they conceded a late goal.
City chairman Jerry Sibanda said his executive has confidence in Ndlovu.
Sibanda added that Ndlovu can permanently secure the City coaching job by getting the local authority out of the relegation zone and securing a PSL slot for next season.
“Ndlovu has been with the club for a while and understands the players. He assisted Dodo and as you know, when results don’t come, it is the head coach who goes. He (Ndlovu) survived when Dodo and Soma-Phiri were axed. Now the ball is in his court, if he does well, he’ll secure his job. He knows that he can secure the job by winning games and keeping us in the league,” said Sibanda.
According to the City chairman, Ndlovu can negotiate for an improved contract should he lead the struggling side out of the murky relegation waters.
“If he does well, he can come to the table at the end of the year and negotiate for an improved contract and I’m sure the management of the club won’t have a problem with that. In as much as we are talking about relegation, I think we’re down there but we can come out because there 13 games left and the points difference isn’t much,” said Sibanda.
City are left with seven away games – Black Rhinos, Triangle United, Nichrut, Shabanie Mine, Highlanders, Yadah and Mutare City. Their remaining home games are against Herentals, Dynamos, Chicken Inn, Ngezi Platinum Stars, ZPC Kariba and Caps United.
City’s remaining assignments are all tricky and their players need to come to party to save the sinking ship. — @ZililoR