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Obedia Tarumbwa

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
CELEBRATED striker Obadiah Tarumbwa and defender Zephania Ngodzo have been told that they are not welcome at Highlanders and should stop attending the team’s pre-season preparations.The two former players attended Bosso’s workouts at Hartsfield Grounds this week under the watchful eyes of the Amahlolanyama think tank led by Bongani Mafu and his lieutenant Mandla Mpofu.

Expectations were high that they would form part of Mafu’s battle troops this season, especially after seven senior players were shown the door for below par performance and indiscipline.

“I have told them to stop attending our training sessions because we don’t want to give people false hope, they are not in our plans,” said Mafu.

He said there were players with Premiership experience that had been identified  and the club had since written to their employers.

“All the players that we want, especially those with Premiership experience aren’t part of our pre-season preparations as yet. I personally identified them and notified the administration who have since set the process in terms of acquiring them in motion, anyone else you see is doing so on his own,” said Mafu.

Hwange right back Tonisani Sibelo, Dynamos’ bustling striker Patrick Khumbula and Bantu Rovers’ Teenage Hadebe could be some of the boys likely to turn out for Tshilamoya this season. Sources in Hwange said the talented Sibelo was seen boarding Bulawayo bound buses on Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders trials have ended with the technical team identifying 15 players mainly with lower league football experience.

Head coach Mafu, was quick to say they have not signed the boys but would want to work with them from now on and see if they have the ability to cope with the heavy demands of Premier League football.

“Among the 15 boys identified, there is one with some experience in the elite league but I would not mention him by name at the moment,” said the coach, occupying one of the most demanding football jobs in Southern Africa.

Highlanders have not tested league title glory since 2006 when they were under Methembe Ndlovu but, without any aorta of doubt, their biggest humiliation has been failure to record a single win over bitter rivals Dynamos since then.

Achieving any one of the two, winning the league title or beating Dynamos, will endear Mafu with the hard to please Bosso faithfuls while achieving both will surely be a huge bonus to the success starved supporters whose only major silverware in the last nine years has been the Mbada Diamonds Cup they won in 2013 under Kelvin Kaindu.