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Sikhumbuzo Moyo & Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporters
HIGHLANDERS will feel hard done by Zifa’s decision to ignore a February 5 Fifa recommendation for member associations to request an amendment or postponement of their registration periods, an oversight that sidelines six Bosso players until the international transfer window opens on July 1.

Bosso will be without Joel Ngodzo, Winston Mhango and Keith Mavhunga, who were plying their trade in the Zambian League, as well as Lenox Chikuwa, who was playing in Botswana, Peter Muduhwa, whose loan deal was cut short by Simba SC of Tanzania, and Rodi Sibanda from Orlando Pirates in South Africa for the Chibuku Super Cup Pool 2 matches at Barbourfields Stadium.

Bosso open their account with a game against Bulawayo Chiefs on Sunday.

The club could not get the players’ reverse international clearances since the first transfer window closed on March 31 and now has to wait for the second window that opens on July 1.

Had Zifa exercised its right to request for a transfer window extension, especially taking into account that there was no football activity throughout the first local transfer window, Bosso would not be facing this dilemma.

“The disruptive effect of the (Covid-19) pandemic in 2020 led to the need to amend certain aspects of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) related to player registration to reflect the adapted schedules of many competitions across the world. While the situation has improved immensely from last year and domestic competitions have resumed in the majority of member associations, there remains the need to retain the flexibility that was integrated into the regulations as the pandemic continues to disrupt competitions in parts of the world.

“Associations may, at any stage, request to extend or amend their season start date and end date, request to amend or postpone their registration periods that have not commenced, provided that their duration complies with the maximum limit (16 weeks) established in article 6 paragraph 2,” reads part of a circular from Fifa secretary-general Fatma Samoura.

Bosso are the only Bulawayo-based side with a headache heading into the weekend resumption of football that starts with the Chibuku Super Cup round robin tournament on Saturday.

Bosso unveiled a 26-member squad a fortnight ago, but are now worried about how they’ll navigate their Chibuku Super Cup Pool B matches against Chicken Inn, Bulawayo City and Bulawayo Chiefs, who are all spoiled for choice with full squad complements.

Highlanders are left with a squad of 20, comprising 17 infield players and three goalkeepers.

It means for every game, Bosso coach Mandla Mpofu will have to drop just one infield player and a goalie.

The absence of the six players gives the remaining ones an opportunity to cement their places before the window opens.

With central defender Muduhwa ou until Julyt, new signing Andrew Tandi can fill the gap, while Adrian Silla, Nqobizitha Masuku, Divine Mhindirira and Muziwakhe Dlamini are equally capable of covering in the central midfield positions where Ngodzo and Mhango are expected to feature prominently.

Ex-Chicken Inn and How Mine forward Toto Banda and Washington Navaya as well as the club’s only Under-20 player Mthabisi Ncube will be trusted to lead the strike force in the absence of Sibanda and Mavhunga.

Municipal side City have had a flawless registration process.

“All our players have been playing locally and we’ve got more or less the same faces that we had last year. From an administrative side, the registration process has been flawless. Zifa transfer matching system manager Timothy Mazhandu and PSL competitions manager Elisha Mandireva have been helpful as always,” said Thandiwe Moyo, City’s spokesperson.

Only one Chicken Inn player, Tafadzwa Kutinyu, is affected as he awaits his international clearance from Horoya of Guinea and coach Joey Antipas is happy with his players’ attitude.

“Kutinyu is the only who was playing out of the country and will be registered in the next window. Striker Obriel Chirinda is back from a trial stint in Zambia, while Michael Charamba, who joined us from Ngezi Platinum Stars, is settling in well,” said Antipas.

Chiefs unveiled their squad on Tuesday, with coach Thulani Sibanda declaring his boys’ readiness for battle. – @ZililoR