The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
FINANCIAL hamstrung Highlanders recently got a massive monetary boost into their coffers when the club received the solidarity funds for the role Bosso played in the development of Marvelous Nakamba and Teenage Hadebe.
Nhlanhla Dube, the Highlanders chief executive officer confirmed that the club has now received the solidary compensation after successful claims. While Dube did not give out the exact figures, sources said Bosso got between US$2 000 and US$3 000 for Hadebe who turns out for Turkish Super League side Yeni Malatyaspo and US$41 000 came for Nakamba who is on the books of English Premier League club Aston Villa.
Bosso could have benefited from Nakamba’s other moves to European clubs but since there is a time limit to making claims, all they could get were solidarity funds for his switch from Club Brugge in Belgium to Aston Villa. According to the Bosso head of secretariat, they started chasing the solidarity funds for Nakamba when he moved to Aston Villa in August last year.
“We have received the solidarity for Marvelous Nakamba and Teenage Hadebe following a successful claiming process. There is a time limit to making a claim so all we could claim for was Nakamba’s move to Aston Villa. This time around we were quick, It’s a process we have been working on since last year, we managed to sustain the claim and got the award. There were challenges in the past regarding the Nakamba claim which have since been rectified,’’ Dube said.
Teenage Hadebe
The funds will come as a huge boost for Highlanders, who just like all local football clubs have been heavily impacted by the coronavirus (Covid-19), which resulted in the 2020 season being halted. Football has since March been banned as part of efforts to curtail the spread of Covid-19, with permission only granted for activity to resume on 16 October. Highlanders lost their main sponsor in May when NetOne decided to refocus its corporate social responsibility to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Certainly, the funds will contribute to what we are trying to do, that is why we pursued the money,’’ Dube said.
The solidarity funds for Nakamba and Hadebe came at a time Bosso just received the transfer fee for Prince Dube who moved to Azam of Tanzania in August. Unofficial reports said the Tanzanian club paid Highlanders US$50 000 for the player. Bosso refused to reveal how much they got for the Dube deal. However, the club is eager to see Dube make a move to a bigger league since they are entitled to 30 percent of whatever fee the striker is sold for.
In addition to that, Bosso can claim solidarity funds when the Warriors striker is moving to a professional league. Dube, because of his brilliant scoring rate in Tanzania already now has a US$1 million price tag, which means Bosso stand to benefit at least US$300 000 if he is sold for that amount.
Highlanders are said to have used proceeds from the sale of Dube to purchase two vehicles, one for the clubhouse and the other for the office.
Meanwhile, Highlanders have agreed personal terms with three of the club’s captains, Ariel Sibanda, Peter Muduhwa and Nqobizitha Masuku. According to a highly placed source, the three players are expected to sign two-year contracts anytime this week.
“It’s a done deal, Highlanders have agreed personal terms with their three captains, Ariel Sibanda, Peter Muduhwa and Nqobizitha Masuku, it’s now a matter of putting pen to paper, it is happening anytime from Monday,’’ said the source.
The Highlanders CEO said negotiations with the players have gone on well.
“In principle we are tying up, the boys want to stay, so what we are doing is trying to gap between what they want and what we can offer. The talks have progressed very well, we should be tying this up in the next few days,’’ Dube said.
Apostolic sect leader, Manuel Mutumwa has pledged a car for each of the three players as part of the terms for signing new contracts.
Sibanda, Muduhwa and Masuku’s contracts with Highlanders expire at the end of this year.
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