The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
CRESTFALLEN Bulawayo Premier Soccer League giants Highlanders might surprise all and sundry by hiring a new coach as early as in a fortnight.
According to sources Bosso, among other high profile names, are targeting Scot Desmond Bulpin and former national team coach Clemence Westerhof. The sources said Westerhof had already submitted his curriculum vitae while strongly expressing intent in coming back to coach in the country after having had stints with the national team and Sporting Lions.
Bulpin on the other hand has been in constant touch with the club after he came close to landing the post last year, before Bosso’s hierarchy settled for Bongani Mafu. Apart from the two, nomadic former Caps gaffer Mark Harrison, who is now in Botswana with Township Rollers, had also submitted his CV.
Highlanders’ chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede confirmed the interest by the two coaches saying Bulpin called the club three days after Mafu was fired and announced his availability and interest in taking up the vacant post while Westerhof submitted his CV later. Westerhof, who is in his home country, Holland, has the edge, having stayed in Zimbabwe for several years and is also married to a Bulawayo girl, Lillian Ndlovu.
Sources close to Bulpin said he is keen on taking over at Highlanders and was ready to arrive in the country before the end of October or early November. “He developed an interest in the club after coming close to getting the job last year and has been following happenings at Bosso. He wants to come down first and assess the situation before committing to a contract,” said the source.
Gumede confirmed Bulpin retained interest in the club and has been following events at Bosso after last year’s contract talks.
“We have been in touch with Bulpin and since he was shortlisted last year we are also considering him as he told us he is available soon after Mafu was relieved of his job. Westerhof is among several coaches who submitted their CVs and the executive will be going over them before making a decision on who to hire,” he said.
Another foreign coach who has submitted his CV is Jeff Cook, whom Gumede said was American, although his coaching credentials could not be ascertained. The Highlanders CEO said they wanted to have a substantive coach in place in two weeks time so that the mentor immediately gets down to work and watch about three matches before the season ends.
Gumede added that no local coach had expressed interest in taking over from Mafu. Bosso has a colourful history with foreign coaches having been led by Bobby Clark in the 80s while the late Eddie May came on board at the turn of the millennium, Zambian Dick Chama, most recently Egyptian Mohamed Fathi and former Bosso player, Kelvin Kaindu who is also from Zambia.
