Zimpapers Logo

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

FAILURE to produce players for Highlanders for the past two seasons is likely to cost Bosso 90 their Zifa Southern Region Division One League slot as the club is considering taking their development side to the less costly Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Division Two League.

Responding to a point raised by club member Ezra Sibanda at the Highlanders annual general meeting at the club house yesterday, Bosso chairman Kenneth Mhlophe pleaded with the members to grant them permission to take the team to the third tier and put an age cap at Bosso 90.

“To be honest, Division One football is financially draining and as it is, the affiliation fees have been raised to $25 000. With the blessings of you members, we are saying let us go to a lower league, play locally and manage costs. We have also set an age limit so that players at Bosso 90 are Under-20 because we can’t be developing players around 22 years old,” said Mhlophe. 

The developmental side, which was established to accommodate promising players who would have graduated from the juniors while awaiting a chance to break into the first team, has been financially draining the club’s strained coffers.

In his contribution, Sibanda said: “Let us not be political or emotional about Bosso 90. Is Bosso 90 serving its purpose because for the last two seasons, we only had Mbongeni Ndlovu coming in from the developmental side in 2018 and Andrew Mbeba came straight from the Under-18 side to the first team. Why are we keeping the costly project in Division One? Why don’t we play in the lower league, have an age cap because all the players you mentioned in your report from Bosso 90, Dominic Jaricha, Dalubuhle Dlodlo and Muziwethu Dlamini are above 21.”

Jaricha, a 23-year-old attacking midfielder, Dlodlo (21) and 24-year-old Dlamini, who was on loan at CIWU, were consistent performers in the Southern Region Division One League.

Some players that are said to be ripe for PSL football at Bosso 90 include defender Cardwell Gavaza (22) and 23-year-old central midfielder Brian Jaravaza, who all should be fighting for places in the senior team.

Bosso members argue that some players at Bosso 90 are even older than Highlanders’ best player Prince Dube, who turns 23.

On creating alternative revenue streams, Mhlophe said they had identified four projects, which are construction of a perimeter wall at the club house that will be used as advertising space for companies, planting lawn at training grounds, upgrading of Luveve camping house and sale of replicas.

Highlanders will be working with corporate partners in all these projects and project managers have already been identified.

In response to another contribution by Sibanda, who asked why Highlanders were heading for a third season without official replicas and that the club lost potential revenue to counterfeit jerseys being sold on the streets, Mhlophe said they had secured US$10 000 to import replicas from China.

“We need US$20 000 to bring a container from China and presently there’s US$10 000 set aside by people who want to remain anonymous. We have to source an additional US$10 000 so that we get the replicas and merchandise,” said Mhlophe.

He also reported that Ben Musaka, McClive Phiri and Denzel Khumalo were the only free agents, adding that Zambian striker Peter Nyirenda was released on “mutual termination agreement”.

Meanwhile, Highlanders members will congregate on March 8 when treasurer Donald Ndebele presents audited financials.

— @ZililoR