Bosso fans eager to see changes
HIGHLANDERS fans will be eager to see some of the changes in approach made by new coach Baltemar Brito when their team takes on Black Rhinos in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League at Barbourfields Stadium this afternoon.
Brito has spent two weeks working with the team during the mid-season break and the hard to please Bosso supporters should be eager to witness the transformation under the man who has worked with the world renowned coach, José Mourinho.
Highlanders have had a terrible start to the season and headed into this weekend’s action on position 10, with just 23 points from 17 matches. Even the three points awarded to them for the abandoned match against Dynamos have not improved their log standing.
Asked on what the fans can expect this afternoon, Brito remarked “The fans can expect a team that wants to play well, that has a wish of winning the game since the beginning of the game, home and away. We want a team with the same personality at home and away, that fight a lot and I am sure that the fans will like the way that the boys will play.”
Bosso’s terrible start to the season started off with a 2-0 loss to Rhinos in Harare. Brito watched the army side battle against Bulawayo City at Emagumeni a day after he arrived in Zimbabwe and has an idea of what to expect.
“We were in the stadium watching the game, Bulawayo City versus Black Rhinos before the break. I know it will be a tough game for us, a strong team on the physical dimension with a good organisation inside the field. They fight a lot, good players, a clever team that manage the game when they are winning,’’ reckoned Brito.
He is well aware that Bosso are not where they are but has a good feeling that with the hard work they have put in, they will come right.
“The team is not in the point that we want but I think we are going on the right way, I am satisfied with what the boys did. I know that the boys, they have a lot to give to the team, a lot to the club, no one can do a perfect team in two weeks, we are in the process but I have a good feeling that the boys, if they continue working like that, we will give a good moment to the sponsors and to the fans. If our players show the same that they did on the training session on the games, we think that we have enough squad for facing the rest of the season,’’ he said.
Highlanders have been linked with moves for two of their former players, Brian Banda and MacClive Phiri when the transfer window opens at the beginning of July. The coaches, however, feel that they want to give the players that are there a chance before making any decision on bringing in or taking out any players.
“We need games because the boys, they are working well, they are catching our ideas but facing the opponents sometimes makes the things different, we need games to check what the players are capable of. We will take some decisions about taking off or eyeing someone,’’ said Brito.
Vice-captain Nqobizitha Masuku spoke of the need to start the second-half of the season on a positive note.
“We are trying to get a strong mentality to the team as a whole, we also want to start positively on the second-half of the season, we want to win every match especially playing at home. Our fans should come in their numbers, we will try to win this match,’’ Masuku said.
Giving an insight into how life has been with Brito and Antonio Torres, Masuku said: “They have been challenging us also, it’s not easy but football language is the same, it’s what we have been doing but now tactics are different, the mentality is different, how we are supposed to approach the game, different ideas that they are bringing, we are trying our level best to grasp whatever they are trying to teach us, whatever they are trying to implement.”
Bosso skipper Ariel Sibanda spoke about a change in the mindset and tactics under the new coaches.
Highlanders had their first-half of the season disturbed by injury to key players such as Masuku, Adrian Silla, Rahman Kutsanzira, Devine Mhindirira Andrew Tandi and Ray Lunga.
Even dependable central defender Peter Muduhwa has been struggling with a groin problem but indications are that besides Tandi who is out for a lengthy period, the rest of the players are available for selection.
— Follow on Twitter @ Mdawini_29