The Sunday News
HIGHLANDERS FC will next year have a team in the Southern Region Division One League after the executive decided to take up the slot won by their developmental side.
Highlanders Academy won promotion after coming second in the Zifa Bulawayo Province Division Two league behind Talen Vision.
Chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede said the executive had resolved to keep the team together and ensure the players were not lost to the club’s system. Gumede said Highlanders would cushion the costs through selling players from the side.
“We felt it is best that we keep the players together and let them play in Division One, which by the way is a very competitive league, where we believe they will mature together and become complete players ready for the top tier league. It will remain a breeding ground for our senior team while also ensuring we have a wide pool of players,’’ said Gumede.
“Having them in Division One will also enable us to contract them and ensure we do not lose them unlike in the past where we have seen our players emerging at other teams as stars and we would have lost out.”
Gumede said the full budget for the team was
$80 000 which they believed they could recoup through selling players.
Bosso’s head of administration said they would maintain the age-group of the players which is below 20 although there could be some players just above that age. Gumede said the team was likely to curtain raise for the senior team during days when both would be playing at home.
