Kelvin Kaindu
Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter—
KELVIN Kaindu has agreed to join How Mine as head coach after holding talks with the club on Monday and will sign a contract in the new year after serving his two-month notice with his present employers, Triangle United. Kaindu tendered his resignation at Triangle on November 9, meaning he will only be able to sign for the Bulawayo-based gold miners in the second week of January.
The Zambian was reportedly impressed with the contract offered to him by How Mine during a five-hour meeting on Monday where he also outlined his plans for turning around the club’s fortunes.
Kaindu is joining How Mine on a three-year contract, whose key result areas are relaxed. According to sources, the club is aiming at improving on their 2015 awful campaign and challenging for top honours in 2017 and 2018.
Sources said the club also agreed to Kaindu’s request to bring national Under-23 goalkeepers’ coach Tembo “Chokri” Chuma and former Highlanders’ captain Bekithemba “Super” Ndlovu as his assistants.
Kaindu worked with Chuma and Ndlovu during his stint at Highlanders where he led Bosso to two consecutive second place finishes behind Dynamos in 2012 and 2013. At the beginning of 2015, he took Chuma with him to Triangle as the goalkeepers’ trainer.
Ndlovu spent the 2015 season coaching army side Indlovu Iyanyathela in the Southern Region Soccer League where they finished seventh. Chuma and Ndlovu are meeting the gold miners today.
“How Mine and Kaindu have agreed on everything but the coach can’t sign at the moment because he still has a contract with Triangle. Chuma’s position is the same as that of Kaindu and the two will sign in the new year,” said the source.
“Kaindu met How Mine officials on Monday and both parties discussed next year’s plans at length. He (Kaindu) presented his wish list that contains a number of unheralded players from the lower leagues and some from the PSL. It was agreed that Ndlovu will work with the club in bringing in players that Kaindu has suggested to the club during the holiday.”
The source said most ageing players would be shown the door as Kaindu has indicated that he wants to work with young players. The Zambian replaces the nomadic Luke Masomere, who was sacked in September following a string of poor results.
The gold miners had started the season among the championship favourites, but went on to have an indifferent campaign, going on a 14-match winless streak in the last half of the season. How Mine’s last victory was on May 12 when they beat Buffaloes 1-0.
Co-coaches Jeremiah Makota and Sheunesu Chaka led the team for the remainder of the season but failed to improve the team’s performance. How Mine chairman Paul McAndrew could not be reached for comment yesterday as his mobile phone continuously rang unanswered.
He however confirmed on Monday that they were in the process of finalising a deal with Kaindu.