Sports / Soccer
Bosso can't fire Akbay
31 Aug 2017 at 06:37hrs | Views
REPORTS emanating from Highlanders' circles suggest that the executive has resolved to fire head coach Erol Akbay but is facing a legal headache.
Insiders said the Dutchman was told to win three consecutive matches starting with the match against Ngezi Platinum Stars which Bosso lost 0-3 followed by the Chapungu and Dynamos encounters. The Highlanders chief executive, Nhlanhla Dube could, however, not confirm or deny that the coach was given an ultimatum.
"He was given a three-game ultimatum, beginning with the Ngezi Platinum match. He failed the first one and the club stood by its position to relieve him and appoint Melusi Sibanda on an interim basis. However, two scenarios emerged after that decision. The first came from the club's lawyers, who advised against removing him saying he would win his case in court since his contract demands that he finishes this season in the top two," said a club source.
The second scenario, according to the source, was that Akbay claimed sabotage by assistant coach Amini Soma-Phiri and asked that he be removed.
"That presented a headache to the executive because Akbay is still within the demands of his contract and firing him now would have meant a breach. The club was advised to give him the benefit of a doubt and allow him to continue since his demand over Soma-Phiri was met. The team now has to win at all costs and also hope that Chicken Inn and Ngezi don't win their next seven games, otherwise the top two finish won't be achieved," said the source.
Bosso can only finish the season on 71 points if they win all their remaining 12 matches while the top two sides can surpass that with seven wins.
Dube told a press conference on Tuesday that the club still had a mathematical chance of lifting the championship, but conceded that the journey was now more difficult.
"Theoretically we are still in the matrix, mathematically we are still in. It has become more difficult, but we are still in the matrix but obviously it's going to depend on how quickly we turn the page. We can't afford to lose any more points because any point lost now is a nail on our coffin," said Dube.
On Akbay's replacement, Dube said the club had started thinking along those lines but said no names have been suggested as yet.
"The thought process is there because we already knew that the coach was not going to extend his contract, so we were already thinking how we will start preparing for next year. There might be a need to stop the ship from sinking so another solution might be required quicker if we don't get the results that we want," Dube said.
Sources said the Bulawayo giants might engage former champions Chicken Inn and South African club AmaZulu coach Joey Antipas.
The hurdle, however, may be the issue of his salary and his assistant.
"It's the norm worldwide that head coaches appoint their assistants and we know Antipas believes in his trusted former player Prince Matore who might be rejected by Bosso," said a Bosso insider.
Insiders said the Dutchman was told to win three consecutive matches starting with the match against Ngezi Platinum Stars which Bosso lost 0-3 followed by the Chapungu and Dynamos encounters. The Highlanders chief executive, Nhlanhla Dube could, however, not confirm or deny that the coach was given an ultimatum.
"He was given a three-game ultimatum, beginning with the Ngezi Platinum match. He failed the first one and the club stood by its position to relieve him and appoint Melusi Sibanda on an interim basis. However, two scenarios emerged after that decision. The first came from the club's lawyers, who advised against removing him saying he would win his case in court since his contract demands that he finishes this season in the top two," said a club source.
The second scenario, according to the source, was that Akbay claimed sabotage by assistant coach Amini Soma-Phiri and asked that he be removed.
"That presented a headache to the executive because Akbay is still within the demands of his contract and firing him now would have meant a breach. The club was advised to give him the benefit of a doubt and allow him to continue since his demand over Soma-Phiri was met. The team now has to win at all costs and also hope that Chicken Inn and Ngezi don't win their next seven games, otherwise the top two finish won't be achieved," said the source.
Bosso can only finish the season on 71 points if they win all their remaining 12 matches while the top two sides can surpass that with seven wins.
Dube told a press conference on Tuesday that the club still had a mathematical chance of lifting the championship, but conceded that the journey was now more difficult.
"Theoretically we are still in the matrix, mathematically we are still in. It has become more difficult, but we are still in the matrix but obviously it's going to depend on how quickly we turn the page. We can't afford to lose any more points because any point lost now is a nail on our coffin," said Dube.
On Akbay's replacement, Dube said the club had started thinking along those lines but said no names have been suggested as yet.
"The thought process is there because we already knew that the coach was not going to extend his contract, so we were already thinking how we will start preparing for next year. There might be a need to stop the ship from sinking so another solution might be required quicker if we don't get the results that we want," Dube said.
Sources said the Bulawayo giants might engage former champions Chicken Inn and South African club AmaZulu coach Joey Antipas.
The hurdle, however, may be the issue of his salary and his assistant.
"It's the norm worldwide that head coaches appoint their assistants and we know Antipas believes in his trusted former player Prince Matore who might be rejected by Bosso," said a Bosso insider.
Source - chronicle
