The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS are moving forward with their plans for next season without Gabriel Nyoni as well as Peter Muduhwa after contract extension with the two players failed to produce a meaningful outcome.
Bosso will assemble on Sunday 6 January prior to departure to their out of town pre-season camp which starts the following day. New players that have joined Highlanders are goalkeeper Wellington Muuya, midfielder Nqobizitha Masuku, as well as strikers Prince Dube and Bukhosi Sibanda. Muuya, a former Bantu Rovers player was with Bulawayo City last season and is expected to be a back up keeper to Ariel Sibanda. Prosper Matutu and Nedrick Madeya have failed to provide good cover for Sibanda with the pair likely to be jettisoned by Highlanders for next season.
Kenneth Mhlophe, the Highlanders chairman yesterday said they had given up on Nyoni and Muduhwa, whose contracts with the club come to an end tomorrow. With the Highlanders pre-season preparations to start on 6 January, Mhlophe said there was no way they could plan ahead with players not keen to extend their stay at the club.
Peter Muduhwa
“We are over with Peter Muduhwa and Gabriel Nyoni, we might even have found replacements for those two. They are no longer in our plans, we are moving forward without them,’’ Mhlophe said.
Nyoni and Muduhwa are said to have asked Highlanders to buy them houses as part of the terms for them to renew their contracts, something Bosso could not meet since the club already has debts nearing $1 million.
“Talks with Muduhwa have also collapsed, we tried and failed, we wish him well wherever he is going. He wanted us to buy him a house but we cannot afford that because we don’t have the money, unless a well wisher makes an offer to buy it for him,’’ said Mhlophe.
According to Mhlophe, Highlanders technical manager Madinda Ndlovu was kept updated on the talks with Nyoni and Muduhwa so that he can plan for next season. On what would happen if Muduhwa has a change of mind and wants to stay at Highlanders, Mhlophe indicated should that be the case, the coach is going to decide if he still wants him.
“If he (Muduhwa) changes his mind and the coach is fine with it, we will accept him back. We are guided by the coach, the coach said he wanted the two players, we were updating him during the talks. We start pre-season 6 January, we cannot be saying we are waiting for Peter Muduhwa.”
Highlanders announced on 22 December that talks with Nyoni had broken down, with the speedy winger choosing not to extend his stay at Tshilamoya. Nyoni is said to be headed for Caps United where he has reportedly been offered a $1 500 monthly salary, a stand in Harare’s affluent suburb of Borrowdale as well as a marketing job. Manica Diamonds, who earned promotion into the Premier Soccer League, has also been giving hints on social media that they are interested in Nyoni.
Muduhwa is said to be a target of Chicken Inn as well as Ngezi Platinum Stars where he could reunite with former Highlanders coach, Erol Akbay.
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