De Jongh living up to his word
HIGHLANDERS’ 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions has ignited yesteryear nostalgia, with supporters complementing good results with song and dance on matchday.
An aura of belief and the yesteryear electric, carnival atmosphere has been revived at Barbourfields Stadium, and it will be no surprise if Bosso fans fill their home ground in the next game.
When he was officially unveiled as Bosso coach on September 27, 2019, Hendrik Pieter de Jongh said he had a good feeling that his time at the club will be great and he could lead the team to a good ending to the season.
De Jongh is living true to his gut feeling and has found love from the hard to please Highlanders’ fans after posting good results since taking over from Mandla Mpofu.
De Jongh found Highlanders bogged down in a relegation scrap, four points above safety and four places above the axe, with 28 points from 23 games. The good run has seen Highlanders rising to sixth, something that pleases De Jongh and the entire Highlanders’ family.
He has presided over five league matches, winning three; 2-0 against Chicken Inn, 2-0 over TelOne and 3-1 against Yadah; and drawing 1-1 with Herentals and ZPC Kariba.
De Jongh has managed to lead Bosso to the Chibuku Super Cup semi-finals, dumping out Dynamos and FC Platinum along the way.
The Dutchman, who signed a four-month performance-based contract with a clause stating that he has to win at least 70 percent of the matches he will be in charge of, is on course to attain his targets.
The 48-year-old mentor has been in charge of an incredible 23 football clubs in a career spanning 29 years and appears to be the right medicine the doctor ordered for Highlanders.
Credit goes to Highlanders’ chairman Kenneth Mhlophe for putting his head on the block and taking the decision to bring De Jongh. The gamble seems to be working and Highlanders fans are now “Happy People” again.
Just how has De Jongh managed to get the best out of the Bosso players, who were struggling for results.
There was even talk that the team had been bewitched (ibotshiwe) but De Jongh seems to have broken the curse.
“It’s simple, I do one-on-one meetings with the players. I want to understand their home situation, know what bothers my players, be it family, girlfriend or girlfriends and even their wives. Players open up when you talk to them one-on-one, they tell you what bothers them,” said De Jongh.
“During those one-on-one sessions, I tell them what I want, some of them are out of shape and I bring a scale so that we record their weight. A scale doesn’t lie and if one is overweight, that gives me an idea of how that person must train. Look, Denzel (Khumalo) was 3kg heavier, but now he’s ok. He can shoot with his right or left, stop the ball with his right or left leg and is a good ball passer.
“I like discipline. It’s small things that I look at, how the player reacts when we have the ball or when we lose the ball,” added De Jongh.
Charmed Highlanders fans also crowed about their team’s turnaround.
Below are some of the fans’ views:
Zibbs Moyo: Discipline is the key word. A new, unknown person who has no personal or political vendetta has come in. Having respect for players, executive and board has been at the centre of the team’s revival. Everyone is pulling towards the same direction.
Paul: I think the change in Bosso’s fortunes has been largely due to the fact that the team brought in a new coach, who came in and gave everyone a chance to prove themselves without tinkering much with the first 11. Yes, Madinda Ndlovu is good at grooming players, but I feel Mandla Mpofu lacked that man management skill to resonate with the players on a more personal level. For example, the
Denzel matter.
All that the boy needed was love, guidance and above all to be trusted. De Jongh seems to have given the boy all that and he is slowly repaying that faith with good performances. Another plus is that everyone is eager to learn and impress the new coach.
Lovemore Ncube aka Macwatshela: De Jongh has shown to be a true leader who listens and is a good motivator. If you have a leader, the team gets motivated and their efforts take them an extra mile.
Ezra Tshisa Sibanda: Unity within the executive, fans and new coach’s arrival plus incentives for the boys brought stability and motivation to the players. The coach also brought discipline and instilled a winning mentality into the players.
Themba Nkomo: The new gaffer came in and found a strong foundation set up by Madinda Ndlovu on good form. His strategies, self-belief given to players and demands for discipline seem to be yielding fruits. I think De Jongh has made players believe in themselves. It’s no secret Bosso has the best squad in the country in terms of quality, but results were just eluding them.
Chris Zulu: First I would like to thank our former coach Madinda Ndlovu for assembling a great squad for the future, at the same time giving credit to our new coach for the work he has done since his arrival. De Jongh has instilled discipline and you can tell by the commitment that the players apply. He is the reason why we are having this good run.
Edmund Luphahla: Without taking anything away from De Jongh, the machine was already being oiled. Coincidentally the new coach came in when the team was starting to perform. This was apparent after the Hwange game that the team was heading towards a perfect finish after a false start. De Jongh is a good motivator, with the combination of Mandla Mpofu, Bekithemba Ndlovu and Julius Ndlovu being what the doctor prescribed.
The secret behind Bosso’s turnaroundisthatthecoachbroughtself-confidence to our players. The tactical response from the game plans are super. He can change the formation of play three times during the match. There’s also unity among everyone, executive and board members, with no fighting on
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