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Bukhosi Sibanda

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League top goal scorer Bukhosi “Zakhu” Sibanda has found a new home at South African National First Division side Ubuntu Cape Town FC.

The 20-year-old former Young Warriors’ striker signed a three-year deal without undergoing trials.

Sibanda leads the topflight scoring chart with 10 goals from 17 games and left Bantu Rovers a goal shy of the 11 that last season’s Premiership golden boot winner Leonard Tsipa of Caps United scored in 30 games.

While Sibanda celebrates moving to South Africa where he will earn more than he did at Rovers, there are some who feel the youngster should have moved to a bigger club.

However, Rovers’ general manager Wilbert Sibanda defended his team’s decision to let their prized star go, saying it was in the best interests of the player.

“Obviously when a player moves, people talk and for us as Bantu Rovers, we acted in the best interests of the player. He signed a three-year contract with Ubuntu Cape Town FC. What I can tell you is that we feel he will get better exposure at Ubuntu Cape Town FC. It’s not that we didn’t harbour dreams of him moving to bigger clubs, but we had to make sure that we find him a team that will give him a step towards reaching his full potential,” said Sibanda.

He said there were a number of local teams that were interested in the young striker, whose superb technique saw him banging in most of his goals from set pieces.

“We’re in no doubt that he will move within a year if he continues with his form. The fact that Ubuntu Cape Town offered him a contract without trials shows that they value his talent. A number of teams here were after his services, with some going as far as stalking the player and as a result he had to move away from his home during his last days to avoid being distracted.

“As a leading scorer with great leadership abilities, we knew that this was the perfect time for him to move. As Bantu Rovers, our policy is to give youngsters an opportunity to launch their careers and we feel Zakhu’s departure opens a door for another youngster. That is why when Ubuntu’s offer came we didn’t hesitate to release him because there were no guarantees that at the end of the 2017 season the player would have received a better offer,” Sibanda said.

The former Gifford High School pupil made his Premiership debut at the age of 16 in 2014 and was made Rovers’ captain at the end of that season.

He took over the captaincy from Nqobizitha Masuku, who is now at FC Platinum.

Last season, Bukhosi led Rovers to the Southern Region Division One League title and a direct ticket into the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League. — @ZililoR