Although they have been Zimbabwe’s most successful side in terms of Premier League glory, Boss have been a laughing stock in continental competitions, where they have been reduced to punching bags for ages.
The club has failed to reach the money-spinning mini-league stage of the African Champions League in five attempts over the past decade, a feat achived twice by their local bitter rivals, Dynamos in the same period.
However, the urge to at least emulate the Harare giants has seen Bosso make early preparations for the Confederations Cup by making attempts to sign better players to strengthen their squad for that jamboree, while also focussing their attention on re-shufling their technical department.
Former Warriors defender, Hebert Dick is one of the big name players that have been immediately linked to the Bosso team, whose backline was a laughing stock of the league, letting in goals at will this past season.
Relegated Hwange are also likely to lose two key players to the side that mercilessly sent them packing from the PSL, as star midfielder Carrington Gomba and striker and skipper, Gilbert Zulu have also been linked to Barbourfields stadium.
Highlanders vice chairman, Horace Ndubiwa confirmed that his club which registered 29 players for its African safari, was interested in some high-profile players from local clubs, but would name them.
“We really want to strenghthen our team and i hope we will get the players that we need. We are already negotiating with the clubs involved and hopefully they will release them to us. We also released on-loan strikers, Thabani Moyo and Admire Dzukamanja and hope to replace them very soon,’ he said last week.
However, it remains to be seen whether the killer punch delivered to their life in the topflight league has softened the coalminers, who have been uncompromising in the past when it came to player transfers to their Matabeleland neighbours.
Hwange have in the past refused to release their former skipper and steely defender, Obert Moyo to Highlanders, who chased his signature for more than four seasons. Last year, a war of words degenerated between the two sides again, when the colliery-sponsored outfit refused to release Gomba to Bosso, and instead were rumoured to have agreed a deal worth half what the Bulawayo giants offered, with Mwana Africa for the same player.
The club is also expected to announce a new technical department anytime this week, with an aim of finding a gaffer who will see them instantaneously clamber back to the league summit, after they were knocked off their familiar perch at the top of the log by bitter rivals, Dynamos.
However, indications are that the club might be forced to renew the contract of under-fire coach, Methembe Ndlovu, whose questionable coaching is partly responsible for their loss of the league title to Dynamos.
The club, seemigly content with an affordable local coach, might fail to get a replacement in time if they fire Ndlovu, and fans might be having another reason to frown next year, as they detest Ndlovu’s favoured yet unothordox 4-1-4-1 formation, which has reduced Highlanders, previously an entertaining outfit, into a boring bunch of pretenders.
The management also promised to announce new coaches for all departments, as they want to resuscitate the club’s erstwhile famed junior policy, which produced exciting players like Zimbabwean legends, Madinda, Adam and Peter Ndlovu, to mention a few.
Post published in: Football