The Sunday News
HIGHLANDERS’ goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya could move to South Africa next year after National First Division side Witbank Spurs confirmed interest in the player.
Diya attended trials late last month and seems to have impressed the technical team headed by Zimbabwean Shepherd Murape but could not be registered as the transfer window period had closed.
Witbank Spurs public relations manager George Khumalo said they were impressed with Diya’s qualities as a goalkeeper, adding that plans were underway to register him when the mid-season transfer window opens in December.
“We just had four days left before the transfer window closed when he came here so it was difficult for us to go on and register him without having concluded negotiations with Highlanders but he is a good player and we were impressed by what we saw. Remember when Cleopas Dube came here we spent weeks negotiating with Highlanders so we realised the window would be closed by the time we would have finalised everything with the club,” said Khumalo.
Diya spent a week at the club that is now home to former teammate Dube.
Khumalo said they would be making an assessment of their squad just before the window opens and if the coaches still felt the goalkeeping department needed a boost then they will definitely sign Diya.
“I think that area (goalkeeping section) remains one of our weakest areas and maybe the technical department would want to bolster it. If they decide a new keeper is needed he will be our first choice,” he said.
Highlanders’ chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede confirmed Spurs had expressed their approval of Diya, saying had the player gone earlier, he could have been snapped up.
“The transfer window got in the way but they (Spurs) told us he should have come earlier for trials and with time on their side we would have negotiated in time. They did not indicate to us whether they still want him or not, I guess we will have to hear from them,” he said.
Diya acquitted himself well when he took over as first choice goalkeeper from Ariel Sibanda last year but lost favour with Highlanders supporters early into the 2014 Premier Soccer League season when a blunder he made gifted Chicken Inn an opportunity to level the scores in the dying minutes of a PSL encounter that ended 1-1.
Other Highlanders players that have moved to South Africa this year include Milton Ncube, who was snapped up by Ajax Cape Town, Kuda Mahachi, who had been on loan from Sundowns, Khumbulani Banda who has joined Maritzburg United and Dube.
Former Bosso midfielder, Peter “Rio” Moyo joined Mpumalanga Black Aces but his stay at the club was short-lived after the club’s coach Clive Barker deemed him excess baggage before he could kick the ball for the team.
