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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS Football Club failed to get the signatures of seven players that former head coach Kelvin Kaindu had recommended for the 2014 season. In a record breaking feat Highlanders signed 29 players during Kaindu’s 33-month stint at Highlanders which did not yield a league title.
According to the list shown to Chronicle Sport, former head coach Kaindu had on March 3, a few weeks before the window closed, submitted his list of 24 players which included former Hwange defence rock Erick Chipeta, FC Platinum’s Nelson Maziwisa, How Mine’s Timothy January, Triangle’s Pasca Manhanga, Masimba Mambare and Douglas Sibanda.

Bosso’s principal sponsors availed close to $100,000 for player acquisition.

Manhanga eventually joined Bosso during the second transfer window this season.

The seventh player was a Zambian from Zanaco. The Zambian had in January released a tentative squad of 23 players where he had also requested the executive to give a contract to one unknown Tinashe Munetsi.

Highlanders and the Zambian striker could not agree on terms.

Sibanda was loaned out to Shabanie for game time while Mkhululi Dube who had been thought to be a solution in attack was bought but released on the insistence of the technical team to Trumus. In the second half transfer window FC Platinum were chasing him.

Nine players were also put on the transfer-list with four of them Bhekimpilo Ncube, Heritein Masuku, Knox Mutizwa and Arshford Katsande being put on standby while Master Masitara, Tinashe Chipunza, Beavan Chikaka and Lawson Nkomo were offloaded outright.

The four were put on standby on condition that the club acquires its targeted players.

During the second half of the season the coaches allegedly hinted to the executive that they wanted Caps United right back Hardlife Zvirekwi and Gift Phiri while the club wanted to loan out injury-prone Honest Moyo to Shabanie Mine but the coaches said they needed his services.

A player from Trumus of Victoria Falls was also a target of the technical team who recommended that if the club agreed terms with him, they must loan him out.

FC Platinum’s Zambian player Obrey Chirwa was also part of the technical team’s wish list but according to Highlanders chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede, the negotiations fell through after the Midlands outfit reportedly received offers from South African clubs.

As the drama unfolds, one of the two former assistant coaches, who asked for anonymity, has distanced themselves from the acquisition of Chipunza and Masitara during the second half of the season last year.

“Those ones, as far as the technical team was concerned, no one knew them but I think someone from the executive members called them and told them to come,” said the former assistant coach.

Bekithemba Ndlovu and Tembo Chuma were Kaindu’s assistants when the two controversial acquisitions were made.

Gumede distanced himself from the fiasco.

“I wasn’t here by then so I suggest you ask those who were here like Tapela, (Andrew) they may know better,” said Gumede.

Contacted for comment, Tapela, the Highlanders secretary-general, said he will not comment on matters to do with club policy.

“Only the official spokesperson of the club can comment and that’s Ndumiso Gumede,” said Tapela.

Kelvin Kaindu’s 2014 wish list
Ariel Sibanda, Munyaradzi Diya, Erick Mudzingwa, Innocent Mapuranga, Bruce Kangwa, Joel Ngodzo, Mthulisi Maphosa, Rahman Kutsanzira, Masimba Mambare, Douglas Sibanda, Nelson Maziwisa, Timothy January, Pascal Manhanga, Felix Chindungwe, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Honest Moyo, Hillary Madzivanyika, Peter Moyo, Milton Ncube, Simon Munawa, Charles Sibanda, Khumbulani Banda, Erick Chipeta, Gabriel Nyoni

A Zambian player only known as Jerry, was to be the 25th player.