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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

Just 10 days before the 2019 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season roars to life, Highlanders are yet to settle on the team’s captain.

The new skipper will replace Honest Moyo who is now in the South African National First Division after his contract was not renewed in December last year.

While the coaches might just be delaying to name the team’s new leader, there seems to be a curse associated with the Bosso captaincy, as most always seem to leave the club unceremoniously.

A look into the last nine Highlanders’ captains shows a similar trend in their departure; all of them left as free agents.

Thulani Ncube and his successor Dazzy Kapenya headline the captains that lifted the coveted league title alongside the last field marshal to win the title, Gilbert Banda, in 2006.

After Kapenya, Highlanders was captained by Bekithemba “Super” Ndlovu in the year that the team’s championship winning trail was halted by city neighbours, AmaZulu. 

Ndlovu, who is now the club’s assistant coach, also left as a free agent just like Ncube and Kapenya before him.

Eccentric goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini took over the captaincy and also left the armband for Banda.

Innocent Mapuranga took over, but his tenure also did not yield any league title for the Bulawayo giants, as did the next three captains Felix Chindungwe, Erick Mudzingwa and Moyo.

Despite not winning league titles, the manner in which the last four Bosso captains departed has largely left members and supporters unimpressed, especially Moyo and Mudzingwa, who had been with the club from the juniors.

It is also ironic that Highlanders have failed to tie down their captains or realise a few dollars from their departure.

Whether this is by design or not, it surely must be a cause for concern, as club members and supporters await the appointment of the next captain.