Bosso, Benjani in ‘talks’

Fungai Muderere, Zimpapers Sports Hub

AFTER weeks of tough talk and public posturing, Highlanders look to have stepped back from the brink. The club has opened formal lines with former Warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari, a sign that the Bulawayo giants may be ready to rethink their coaching direction.

A trusted source close to the discussions said Mwaruwari was expected to attend a meeting with the technical team and players yesterday but never arrived. The source said the talks are real and the club is weighing his potential appointment with serious interest.

“He has been in touch with members of the executive and he is highly tipped to come and join the club’s technical bench. However, there is a South African coach who is also linked to the job,” said the source.

Highlanders gathered their players and technical staff at the club offices for what chief executive Denzil Mnkandla described as a routine meeting as the squad heads into the off-season. He dismissed any sense of drama, even after spotting the Zimpapers Sports Hub crew outside.

“We haven’t managed to get time to meet our players after the conclusion of the season. It’s just a normal procedure as they head for the off-season. There is nothing amiss,” said Mnkandla. His view was shared by the team manager.

Yet the timing of the gathering fuelled questions behind the scenes. Mwaruwari has been central to recent conversations around the Bosso job, and insiders had suggested he might walk into the offices for what some believed could be a decisive moment for the club’s technical future.

Instead, players quietly signed their off-season forms in the courtyard, then headed in for an address from the executive and technical staff.

If negotiations continue to shift in Mwaruwari’s favour, Highlanders could be setting up a wider rebuild ahead of their centenary celebrations next year. The club expects a new team bus and a budget that sources say could climb over a million dollars for player recruitment.

There is also the pull of Mwaruwari’s name. His journey through Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Portsmouth, AJ Auxerre, Jomo Cosmos and Bidvest Wits gives him a football presence that stretches far beyond the dugout. For a club preparing to mark one hundred years, those intangibles could matter as much as any tactical plan.