The Sunday News
Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS are in the process of evaluating all their players loaned out to other clubs with some of them likely to be recalled for next season.
Ndumiso Gumede, the Highlanders chief executive officer said they had tasked the club’s technical team to give a feedback on all the Bosso players who were on loan to other clubs this season. Depending on how they performed at these other clubs, a few of them could be back at Highlanders next season.
“Our technical department has been directed to assess all our players on loan to see if they meet all our requirements for next season. Those who do meet these requirements would be recalled to Highlanders,’’ said Gumede.
Highlanders have a number of players who were on loan to either the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League or Zifa Southern Region Division One clubs.
Defensive midfielder Douglas Sibanda and fellow midfielder Gift Saunyama are at Shabanie Mine, striker Mkhululi Dube is at Bulawayo Chiefs, goalkeeper Dean Sibanda and forward Nhlanhla Ndlovu are loaned to Victoria Falls based Trumas FC. Other players who are on loan are Chidzani Malaba (Elephants), the quartet of Bobby Nkomo, Lewis Ncube, Archford Katsande, Arnold Ndiweni, who are at Black Boots and Lynoth Chikuwah at now promoted Tsholotsho FC.
The most outstanding of the loaned players this season was Douglas Sibanda, a player signed from Gwanda Ramblers last season whose exploits at the Zvishavane based club saw him called up to the national Under-23 side which lost 2-1 away to Morocco in an international friendly match last Sunday. The player was fielded in central defence and reports indicate that he had a good outing. However, the player is rumoured to be on the radar of PSL side Chicken Inn.
Gumede also revealed that they were looking at how best they could get a return of investment on players who came through the club’s junior systems who were snapped up by other clubs. Some of the players produced by the Bosso junior policy are the Bantu Rovers duo of Teenage Hadebe, Lucky Ndlela, Ryan Mabhena at Shabanie Mine, Chicken Inn defensive rock Lawrence Mhlanga, Chiredzi striker Trevor Ndlovu as well as the Moyo twins Kelvin and Elvis who are both at big spending FC Platinum.
