Zimpapers Logo

HIGHLANDERS Football Club is a big institution that should not be personalised by anyone, coaches and administrators included.

It is in this light that threats by Bosso coach Mandla Lulu Mpofu to handpick journalists to attend the club’s press conference should be condemned in the strongest sense.

Addressing the team’s weekly press conference on Thursday, Mpofu threatened that he would, through Bosso’s chief executive officer Ronald Moyo, bar some journalists from the presser.

Highlanders’ chief executive officer Ronald Moyo

“I don’t want to be rude but I want professional journalists that come here and be very positive, I don’t want you guys to go out there and think maybe I am a hardcore but I respect you, let’s come here give positive attitude towards this presser.

This is my presser, I don’t want to talk to chief (executive officer) at the end of the day and say I don’t want to see John and Peter at my presser, this is my presser,’’ he said.

It is no secret that Bosso is limping as it heads for its clash with arch rivals Dynamos tomorrow and the club’s record speaks for itself.
With three wins from 13 matches, it doesn’t need rocket science to see that things are not well at one of the country’s biggest football teams.

The poor performance by Bosso has led to calls by some fans for the club to sack Mpofu and that is a fact.

It would be unprofessional for journalists not to report on those calls so that they qualify to cover the Bosso pressers.

It is embarrassing that after so many years, Bosso enjoys serious sponsorship but is failing to show the effect of that boost on the field of play.

It is not the job of journalists to sanitise the team’s poor form or even silence voices calling for the coach’s departure.

Mpofu should know that no one is above scrutiny and he must not prescribe how his performance is assessed by the media and the club’s multitude of fans.

Coaching a big team like Highlanders comes with great expectations and it should come as no surprise to Mpofu that he has to face tough questions when the team is performing badly.

The only favour Mpofu can do himself is to turn around the team’s fortunes and that way, he won’t be asked questions that he finds uncomfortable.

The move by Bosso to hold the weekly pressers is in line with international standards and shows the will by the club to operate in line with those standards and any act of barring journalists from the presser is akin to dragging Bosso into the dark days.

A coach who does not want to be scrutinised does not deserve to coach a big club like Highlanders.