The Bulawayo football giants are set to get a new coach following former player and coach Madinda Ndlovu’s resignation in June and the possible departure of Mandla Mpofu who had replaced Madinda. Rumour has been circulating on social media that an English coach from Britain was coming to be the Highlanders Football Club gaffer. A source that spoke to the Chronicle, however, debunked the grapevine and said:
It’s not true that the club will be having someone from Britain and in particular Donaldson Buplin as you guys had insinuated. It’s, in fact, one Pieter de Jongh from Netherlands.
Here is a short bio of the incoming Highlanders Coach Pieter de Jongh as published by The Chronicle:
Hendrik Pieter de Jongh (48), started his coaching career in 1990 as a 20-year-old rookie following a career-ending injury. He has also had stints in Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Swaziland as well as Caf headquarters.
His first coaching job was with the RKCWaalwijk’s Under 14 side in 1990, staying there up until 1994 when he was now in charge of the team’s 18 -23 year age group. He held many coaching posts in his native country before moving to Moldova to take charge of that country’s Under-21 side between 2012-13. His first dance with African football was in 2014, as head coach of AFC Leopards in Kenya, leading them to the final of the Cecafa Cup in Sudan as well as the Top 8 Cup final in Kenya.
After partying ways with the Kenyan side he came to South Africa to take charge of FC Cape Town albeit for less than a year as he was to be on the road again heading to Rwanda as the Football Federation of Rwanda technical director. As in his previous stint in South Africa, he was in that position for less than a year, leaving in December 2016 to take up a head coach’s job with the Swaziland (Eswatini) national team. He lasted just five months there.
He took up a job with Supersport as a pundit in African football, based in Kenya from January 2018 to the end of the year.From June 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 he was Caf technical advisor (youth development) based in Cairo, Egypt.
Jongh holds a Uefa A, B and C coaching badges, a youth trainer coaching diploma and a Fifa technical director certificate all licensed by KNVD (Royal Dutch Football Association).
A few weeks ago the current Highlanders coach Mandla Mpofu was given a 3 match ultimatum by his bosses,
More: The Chronicle