The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
THE jettisoning of former Highlanders captain and loyal son Erick Mudzingwa as well as Simon Munawa have sparked an outrage from Bosso fans who feel the team cannot just rely on youngsters still wet behind the ears.
The supporters said although it was up to the technical bench to come up with its team, there is a still a need to have players who have a calming effect on youngsters and the duo of Mudzingwa and Munawa tick that box.
It is also the feeling of the supporters that Mudzwinga especially cannot just be thrown away, considering that he gave all to Bosso since he was a youngster. Mudzingwa and Munawa were told that their services were no longer required together with Allan Gahadzikwa, Ralph Matema and Tendai Ngulube as they were not in new coach Madindla Ndlovu’s plans for this season.
While Bosso fans had no issues with the club getting rid of Ngulube, Matema and Gahadzikwa, they are not impressed by the departure of Mudzingwa and Munawa.
One of the popular Bosso fans, Duduzo “Teekay” Sibanda said if it was the coach’s decision then he respects it but if the resolution was made by the club’s executive then it would be sad.
“If it was the coach’s decision, let’s give him a chance, we respect that. If the decision was made by the executive then it’s bad, we don’t agree with that.
Youngsters could have learnt a lot from Mudzingwa, we have lost a lot of Highlanders sons. Mudzingwa and Munawa are two most senior players, they have been at Highlanders for a long time. It won’t be a surprise to see them at Bulawayo City destroying us this season,’’ Sibanda said.
He was pained by the way Mudzingwa, a Bosso player from 2000 when he started off as a junior before making his first team debut in 2007 has been treated. Sibanda is of the view that Highlanders should have kept Mudzingwa until his playing days are over then given him a coaching role which is what other clubs do to their loyal sons.
“My heart bleeds for Mudzingwa, he was our longest serving player, our junior product, we should have kept him and given him a coaching role, we have lost too many Highlanders sons before like Methembe Ndlovu and we have seen them excel elsewhere, that’s not good at all,’’ he said.
On Munawa, Sibanda felt that for someone who was Bosso’s leading goal scorer last season, he should have been kept at the club. Munawa scored seven league goals last season. He joined Highlanders in 2011 from Zimbabwe Saints. The 29-year-old Ngubuyenja-bred star has during his time at Highlanders displayed a knack of scoring crucial goals. He has been likened to former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes.
Concerns have been raised on the lack of more experienced players as Bosso prepare for the 2018 season. It is yet to be seen if Ndlovu, in his fourth spell in charge of the club that gave him fame, can allay those fears and give Bosso their first league title since another former Highlanders son, Methembe Ndlovu last did so in 2006. -@Mdawini_29
