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B-Metro Reporters
AS part of their ongoing 90th anniversary celebrations Highlanders Football Club members and fans will on Saturday be afforded a rare chance to braai and pose for pictures with the teama��s players of their choice.
The event will take place at Bossoa��s clubhouse ahead of their blockbuster Week Two encounter against equally formidable FC Platinum at Babourfields Stadium on Sunday.
a�?As part of our ongoing 90th anniversary celebrations, club members and fans have been afforded a chance to mix and mingle with our players at the clubhouse on Saturday. Club member and benefactor Kenneth Mhlophe has donated a beast towards the event. Non members will pay $2 to be part of the event where people will be offered meat to braai with their favourite player(s) as they socialise. They will also take pictures if they want,a�? said Bosso chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede.
Early this year, Mhlophe was beaten to the post of Bosso vice -chairman by fellow business man Modern Sikhuthele Ngwenya who is now deputy to club chairman Peter Dube.
Gumede added: a�?The event will be one and a half hours long as the players will need to go and rest ahead of our game against FC Platinum. The event is part of our ongoing 90-year celebrations.a�?
A series of events have been lined up for the year-long celebrations which started on 28 February and are expected to end on 11 December.
The Bulawayo football giants have enlisted arts guru Cont Mhlanga and his Amakhosi Arts Centre to co-ordinate the celebrations.
Bosso, through board member Luke Mnkandla, who heads the marketing sub-committee, came up with a concept for the launch of the celebrations on 28 February.
Carnivals, street marches, performances from local and international cultural groups and football activities were expected to be part of the celebrations with close sources revealing that the club would invite one or two clubs from South Africa and Botswana for friendly matches.
The theme for the anniversary celebrations is Our Heritage a�� Our Institution Kayisozi ibulawe. Highlanders will also partner corporates operating in the city in the celebrations.
Highlanders was founded in 1926 by King Lobengulaa��s grandsons, Albert and Rhodes as Lions Football Club and assumed the name Highlanders in 1936 as Matabeleland Highlanders Football Club.
Since Bossoa��s establishment, the club has won nine championships and quite a number of trophies producing great players like Lawrence Phiri, Josiah Nxumalo, Tymon Mabaleka, Barry Daka and the former Liverpool and Warriors goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar.
In later years, Bosso produced legendary former Warriors skipper Peter Ndlovu, his brother Madinda and the late Adam, Rahman Gumbo, the late Benjamin Konjera, Willard Mashinkila-Khumalo (late) and Mercedes Sibanda (late) and Peter a�?Oxoa�? Nkomo among many others.
Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane is on record sayingA� HighlandersA� was not only a sporting organisation but an embodiment of history, culture and identity of a people.
Meanwhile, Highlanders have managed to secure the services of ZRP striker Kasimero Chimbadzwa after the Harare-based side ZRP FC climbed down on its demands.
ZRP FC changed their price at the last minute demanding Highlanders pay $3 000 to have the player for a season despite having agreed on a $1 500 loan fee earlier.
The decision did not go down with Highlanders chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede who last week stated it was a last minute let down from ZRP and they had put Bosso in a fix.
However, the situation was saved by the ZRP hierarchy early this week who ordered ZRP FC officials to honour their agreement.
a�?The hierarchy at ZRP have decided to intervene in the matter of Kasimero and they have said if there was an agreement then the FC management ought to stand by that agreement,a�? said Gumede.
a�?Accordingly we have sent the $500 as commitment fee or down payment for the services of Kasimero and we expect him to return to the Highlander fold and that ZRP FC will send a clearance letter.a�?
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