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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE 2019 Premier Soccer League Soccer Star of the Year Joel Ngodzo completed his return to Highlanders yesterday, with the Bulawayo giants unveiling the midfielder alongside six other signings.

Highlanders have beefed up their squad ahead of the 2021 season start, with the quartet of Ngodzo, former Young Warriors, Hwange, Harare City and Manica Diamonds utility player Pritchard Mphelele, ex-Chicken Inn and How Mine winger Toto Banda as well as defender Crispen “Goso-goso” Ncube being latest arrivals.

Pritchard Mphelele

They join experienced midfielder Winston Mhango, defender Andrew Tandi and striker Lynnoth Chikuhwa, who joined earlier.

Highlanders spokesperson Ronald Moyo said they are left with two slots, which will be filled by a goalkeeper and a striker.

“We are pleased to welcome the new players Ngodzo, Mphelele, Banda and Ncube, who signed contracts with the club today (yesterday).

We’re also pleased to announce that we’ve also concluded a contract extension for Divine Mhindirira. We hope to fill the remaining two slots soon with a third goalkeeper and a striker,” said Moyo.

Toto Banda

Ngodzo, a product of the Highlanders juniors, will be returning to Bosso for the second time after the 2014 season following the expiry of his contract at FC Platinum.

Josta, as Ngodzo is affectionately known in football circles, had been lured by “moneybags” FC Platinum in 2011.

After the 2014 season, Ngodzo packed his bags for Harare to join Caps United where he stayed for five seasons before dumping the Green Machine Harare for Zambian side Buildcon at the beginning of 2020 after being crowned Soccer Star of the Year in 2019.

Ncube and Banda have been training with the club since Sunday, while Ngodzo and Mphelele joined the rest of the squad yesterday.

The other faces Highlanders will parade are ex-Orlando Pirates youth striker Roddy Sibanda and former Bulawayo City left-back Humphrey Ncube.

Of the five juniors’ slots, Highlanders said they have taken a deliberate approach to promote players that will effectively compete.

“At present we have one slot occupied by striker Mthulisi Ncube. The development strategy we’ve taken is that instead of just promoting players and filling up the slots when they won’t be used, we let the juniors develop at our Bosso 90 so that we don’t stifle their growth.

“If you look since 2018, only two players, defenders Andrew Mbeba and Mbongeni Ndlovu, came up and became regulars, while most of the players they were promoted with disappeared into oblivion. So, only those youngsters that will be seen as possible starters will be promoted,” said Moyo. — @ZililoR