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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

SEVENTEEN-Year-Old Highlanders Football Club attacking midfielder Prince Ndlovu’s Croatian dream hangs in balance after the youngster was denied a visa to travel to the European country for a month-long trial.

Ndlovu is back in Bulawayo, with his emissaries said to have travelled to South Africa on Monday to lodge an appeal.
The Bosso teenage sensation received an invitation to attend trials at Croatian second tier club HNK Vukovar 1991 that is scheduled to start on Friday, February 10 and end on March 9.

Impeccable sources told Chronicle Sport that one of the officials, presumably the player’s representative who is supposed to accompany Ndlovu to Croatia “is making frantic efforts” to try and have the visa appeal attended to so that the player leaves by Thursday.

“Prince is back in Bulawayo having spent about two weeks in South Africa where he was processing his visa for Croatia. Unfortunately, the application was denied and one of the two guys who is supposed to travel with him is in South Africa to lodge an appeal.

“They feel there are strong grounds for appeal and at the moment everyone’s keeping their fingers crossed that they manage to get the visa so that the boy travels for this lifetime opportunity,” said the source.
According to an invitation letter signed by HNK Vukovar 1991 president Ivan Strek which was also used for the initial visa application, Samson Kabwe and Nduduzo Sibanda are supposed to accompany Ndlovu, who turned 17 years old last month, for the trial stint.

Highlanders communications officer, Nozibelo Maphosa

Kabwe and Sibanda are travelling as the player’s coach and administrator, an indication that the pair could be facilitators of the deal.
Highlanders communications officer, Nozibelo Maphosa confirmed that Ndlovu is back in Bulawayo after attending personal matters in South Africa, though this publication has it on good authority that the young winger who left the country a fortnight ago had been training with Orlando Pirates while waiting for his visa.

“Prince Ndlovu is back in the country having been in South Africa briefly to sort out some personal issues,” Maphosa said.
Ndlovu, who made his debut for Highlanders’ senior team in July last year following his promotion from the club’s developmental side Bosso-90 is one of the club’s brightest prospects.
He showed flashes of brilliance in the brief minutes he played in the 3-0 win against Manica Diamonds with some fine touches on the ball as well as dribbling instincts that won him admiration from hard-to-please Highlanders fans. -@ZililoR