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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
IT’S now official, the five Highlanders players who were on the sidelines during the opening rounds of the Chibuku Super Cup as they awaited their reverse international clearances are officially registered with the Bulawayo giants and will now be available for selection once football resumes.

Vice-captain and tried and trusted defender Peter Muduhwa, stocky midfielder and 2019 Soccer Star of the Year Joel “Josta” Ngodzo, gritty midfielder Winston Mhango as well as Keith Mavunga and Lynoth Chikuwa have received their reverse clearances and have since been duly registered by Zifa and the Premier Soccer League.

Joel Ngodzo

In the same boat is the Chicken Inn duo of roving defender Elvis Moyo as well as lanky midfielder Tafadzwa Kutinyu.

Zifa confirmed the development yesterday, a few days before the official closure of the second transfer window which opened on July1.

“Their papers are in order and are now registered in terms of our regulations. They will play when football resumes,” said Zifa communications and competitions manager Xolisani Gwesela.

Three of the Highlanders players were plying their trade in Zambia with Muduhwa returning home from a stint with Tanzanian side Simba SC while Chikuwa was in Botswana.

Ngodzo was with Buildcon, Mhango with Kabwe Warriors while Mavunga joins the Bulawayo giants from Lumwana Radiants.

Winston Mhango

Chicken Inn will also be a relieved lot with the registration of Kutinyu who rejoins them from Guinea’s Horoya AC as well as Moyo who was with Chippa United of South Africa.

The two teams met hiccups in the registration of the players who could not be registered in the first transfer window as the country went into lockdown due to an upsurge of Covid-19 cases. When lockdown restrictions were eased and football returned, the first transfer window had closed which meant Highlanders and Chicken Inn waiting for opening of the second registration window.

The hitch saw Bosso and GameCocks playing three Chibuku Super Cup matches, including a stalemate against each other, without the affected players. Both did not lose any of the matches, managing two wins and a draw to remain on course to progress to the knockout stage of the tournament.