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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
LEGENDARY juniors football coach Ali “Baba” Dube has expressed anger at the departure of striker Ozias Zibande from Highlanders saying he could not understand why the Bulawayo giants were letting go of players that would have come through the club’s ranks.

Dube also made startling allegations that a Highlanders’ junior coach had secretly sold the diminutive forward to a Mpopoma-based side.

Zibande and Bosso failed to reach an agreement over contract extension talks.

Zibande broke into the Highlanders’ first team in 2012 and made four starts and six substitute appearances, scoring five goals in the process.

He was accused by coach Bongani Mafu of negotiating in bad faith and depending on bad advisers.

“My heart is bleeding at the departure of Ozias. How do we let go of our own sons while promoting a youngster from somewhere?

“I’ve no problem with the team bringing in young players from other teams, but I expect the boy to be extremely talented and get a starting 11 jersey otherwise his presence won’t be justified,” said Dube.

Arguably the best juniors’ coach in the country, Dube seemed to side with Mafu that there could have been a third force behind the eventual departure of Zibande.

“I still remember clearly when Zibande was in my Under-16 team when I was still with Highlanders.

“Due to hot-seating at his school, he would sometimes go in the afternoons and that affected his training schedule with us, so I talked to Spha (Siphambaniso Dube, Ajax Hotspurs director) so that the boy could be training with them and only come for matches on Saturdays,” said Dube.

He said after a few months, he got the shock of his life when Spha told him that the boy was no longer a Bosso player.

“He told me that he talked to one of our coaches, who agreed to release Zibande arguing that he (Zibande) was too short for a striker,” said Dube.