Highlanders head coach Baltemar Brito will miss his team’s 2023 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season-opening match against ZPC Kariba, reported the Chronicle.
The 71-year-old Portuguese national is set to leave Zimbabwe this Tuesday for his home country for a refresher course.
Brito is a Uefa Pro Coaching licence holder with vast experience. The Uefa Pro badge is the highest world-recognised qualification in football that enables one to coach anywhere in the world.
The licence is valid for three years therefore holders have to renew it in order to continue carrying out their coaching duties.
Brito has worked as Jose Mourinho’s assistant coach at FC Porto in Portugal, Chelsea in England, and Inter Milan in Italy.
Highlanders communications and marketing officer Nozibelo Maphosa confirmed Brito’s unavailability for the opening match of the season. She said:
Coach Brito is leaving this week to regularise his Uefa Pro in Portugal.
We will be announcing our 2023 technical staff before the start of our 2023 season.
In the absence of Brito, club legend Madinda Ndlovu, who was recently appointed as the first-team assistant coach and head of junior development, will be in charge of the first team.
The club is reportedly making plans to ensure Joel Luphahla and Antonio Torres sit on the bench with reassigned titles.
Last season, Luphahla and Torres were prohibited from the bench as ZIFA implemented club licensing which requires PSL coaches and their assistants to be CAF A licence holders.
More: Pindula News