IS THIS UNDER-FIRE LULU’S LAST SUPPER?

UNDER-FIRE Highlanders coach, Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu, says he is not being moved by the criticism he has been receiving.

He said his mission remains the same - to try and transform Bosso into a competitive unit once again.

His immediate focus is on winning the Battle of Zimbabwe showdown against rivals Dynamos on Sunday.

The country’s two biggest, and most successful clubs, go head-to-head in a Barbourfields showdown.

The game is widely expected to define Mpofu’s association with Bosso.

If he loses on Sunday, according to sources, a victory will buy him more time on the job.

Mpofu said he is not being moved by critics and the social media attacks he has been getting.

“No pressure at all, the media plays a big role,” he said.

“We are looking at the fact that this is a crucial week, where we have to look at the team, and how best are you guys assisting the team?

“Especially, looking at a good opportunity for the club to make revenue, looking at the opportunity for the fans to come in their numbers.

“I’m not moved nor pressured but I know how our fans feel and it’s okay. What they did on Sunday (staging a protest) is normal and we want to make sure that we win on Sunday.

“Adrian Silla is out due to the accumulation of three yellow cards and Rahman (Kutsanzira) is back, he started training with us on Tuesday.

“Nqobizitha Masuku is back again and Joel Ngodzo is still out.”

He said their focus was on the big game. “Everything is okay in training and, so far so good, it’s a must-win for us, a big game for the community and I think we are ready for Dynamos and we all know what needs to be done to get a win,” he told journalists yesterday.

“We are 14 points behind them but there was a time when Liverpool were 14 points away from Man City but now they are just three points away from them.

“So, it can happen to us but, first and foremost, let’s channel our preparations towards the match against Dynamos and get the three points that we need.”

He said his boys don’t need much motivation since they know the importance of the game.

“It’s a self-motivating game when you play against Dynamos, no one will push anyone, everyone knows how important it is for us to beat Dynamos,” he said.

“It’s a must-win and there are no two ways about it and the most important thing is to make sure that we prepare very well, it’s not an easy team, I must say.

“They are on top because they’re playing very well and I want to encourage our fans to come in their numbers to give us the cheer that we want.

“They are very important in this game and they must come in numbers and make sure we fill up the stadium and we intimidate our opponents as much as possible.”

He added:

“We don’t really dwell much on history because anything can happen in football but I think we are motivated to play them.”