The Sunday News
Simbarashe Dube Sports Reporter
HAVING on board a new executive committee, a new set of players, and a new head coach, mirrors the eagerness of Highlanders to find its long lost identity, the DNA of success.
As the shadow of the 2015 edition of the Premier Soccer League looms, this marks the genesis of an era for the Bulawayo’s equivalent of the Biblical goliath, as Bosso are set to approach the new season with almost a new side.
But it remains uncertain whether the move will yield a bumper harvest or not, for the title-hungry Bosso family.
Earlier this month elections were held at the Highlanders Clubhouse, a gathering that gave birth to new executive members in the Bosso family. A total of 111 votes were enough for former club medic and manager Emmet Ndlovu to secure the position of secretary.
In a statement following his victory Ndlovu was very positive about his new task promising to make a positive mark during his term in power.
“I owe it to the Highlanders people and I promise to add value to this great institution. I believe that the spirit of unity must prevail and if there is anything that I am, it’s being a unifier,” said Ndlovu.
The club’s ex-committee member, Wisdom Mabhena, bounced back as a committee member, while Peter Dube retained his chairmanship as he went unchallenged.
The exodus of the club’s previous season top goal scorer, Charles Sibanda, and goal minder Munyaradzi Diya to cross-town rivals, How Mine, saw the team enrolling a new set of players.
In a bid to return its credit; to replace the players who decided to explore and exploit greener pastures, Bosso set out to seek a new set of players, not just “regulars”, but personnel whom the coach believes have that appetite necessary to propel Bosso to the top.
Standing at the Bosso doorway was an eager unknown teenager, a former Prince Edward High School pupil, Thomas Chideu, ex-Harare City holding midfielder, Tendai Ngulube, the Bantu Rovers trio of Obadiah Tarumbwa, Nqobizitha Masuku and Teenage Hadebe, Edmore Muzanenhamo, returnee Douglas Sibanda who are part of the new players who made it to the Bongani Mafu’s final squad.
Doors to the final list were shut right on the faces of the former “darling” of the Bosso fans, the 2010 second best local footballer, Joel “Josta” Ngodzo.
Marshall Machazane and Xolisani Moyo are some of the players who also sailed on the same ship with Josta.
A holder of the UEFA B badge and an advanced coaching diploma from the Zimbabwe Coaches Association, Mafu, was introduced as the former champions’ new head coach.
Mafu believes in youth and he also has history of sponsoring junior tournaments and development programmes. Perhaps that’s the reason why he placed the club’s old horses on the waiting list.
The return of their traditional colour red as their new away track tops is quite a loaded statement, especially during the transformation phase that the club is going through. Maybe it’s believed that history will re-write itself and this might bring back the traditional touch-me-not attributes of the once famed black and white juggernaut also known as Amahlolanyama.
Although transformation is now the anthem at Highlanders, one thing remains the same. It has gone unchanged for a number of seasons, and for that reason, “the fans” have stayed loyal to the club, what with disaster piling upon disaster, the fans have rallied behind the club in both home and away games.
For now the large Highlanders’ family is desperately crying for salvation, as they hope that the so called “reformation” won’t turn out to be another QUESTION but the much craved for ANSWER!
