New Highlanders coach Pieter De Jongh has set a clear survival target for the remaining games of the season.

De Jongh was officially unveiled on Friday at a press conference. He takes over the reins from Try Ncube, who had been working on an interim basis following the sacking of Kelvin Kaindu in June.

Despite sitting in 9th place, Highlanders are effectively fighting against relegation. The Dutchman believes that reaching at least 40 points by the end of the season will be enough to secure their safety.

Bosso are currently on 29 points, just two ahead of Greenfuel, who occupy the highest spot in the relegation zone.

Speaking at the unveiling, De Jongh said:
“The team is not in a good position; we are fighting to survive relegation. The situation is worse than when I first came here in 2019. There are nine games left in the season, and our opponents are very strong, so we need to treat every game like a final.”

He added: “We are two points above the relegation zone, and you need at least 40 points to survive. So the target is to collect at least eleven points from the remaining nine games. As a coach, you always want to win every match, but the most important thing right now is to save the team from relegation.”

Highlanders’ next assignment is on Sunday at Barbourfields Stadium against Bikita Minerals, who are also battling relegation.