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Kelvin Kaindu

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS’ stocky midfielder Joel Josta Ngodzo has reportedly fallen out of favour with coach Kelvin Kaindu and has not been attending training sessions for the past two weeks.
Kaindu could neither confirm nor deny the rift but declined to shed more light on the subject, telling Chronicle Sport: “On that one I cannot give you a comment, maybe next week when I have fully briefed the executive.”

Impeccable sources said trouble started soon after the team returned from their 3-1 victorious trip to Buffaloes in Mutare after Kaindu got wind that the boys came all the way drowning in beer as there was no member of the technical team on the team bus.
The seven members of the technical team reportedly used a different vehicle.

“The boys were alone from Mutare and came back drinking, arriving in Bulawayo on Monday morning,” said the source.
The head coach is said to have noted some strange behaviour from his players while some spoke in an incoherent manner.

Seeing that he would get no reasonable answers from the players, Kaindu, said the source, confronted the captain Innocent Mapuranga who had no choice but to confess that some of the boys were drinking along the way.

Mapuranga does not take alcohol.
On the first day of training from Mutare, which was a Tuesday, a livid Kaindu addressed his players and strongly reprimanded them with Josta coming in for a barracking.

“He went on a verbal tirade against Joel, telling him that he has failed to live up to expectations and instead of concentrating on fighting to get back into the starting line up he was busy thinking about where to get the next beer,” said the source.

After that, Chronicle Sport heard, the Zambian told Ngodzo to leave the field and in a fit of rage, the player threw his kit to the ground and left.
Asked about the future of the player, one of the most talented in Zimbabwe, Kaindu said Ngodzo was and still remains a key and influential member of the squad.

“I hope that he will pick up his form as we enter the second half and home stretch, he needs a bit of time,” said Kaindu.
The Zambian gaffer said the former Young Warrior had not hit the ground running as expected with combinations not gelling as he would have wished.

“It’s true, Josta has not hit the gear that all of us expected him to. His skills, talent are unrivalled and once he hits top form I am sure the jigsaw puzzle pieces will come together,” said Kaindu.