admin
Ricky Zililo, Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS want to reinforce the team in the second transfer-window which opened yesterday for soccer clubs in the country.
Bosso, despite losing two consecutive games in the Castle Lager, are still at the top of the log standings and hope to overcome their mid-season slump.
In separate interviews yesterday, the club’s chairman Peter Dube and coach Kelvin Kaindu seemed to sing the same hymn saying they were working together to inject new blood into the Highlanders squad.
The Bulawayo giants need urgent solutions to keep their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League campaign on track as their performance of late has been far from convincing losing three consecutive matches. They lost two league matches 0-1 to Chicken Inn at home and 2-1 against Caps United in Harare and at the weekend were knocked out of the BancABC Sup8r competition by FC Platinum.
Bosso have already lost to Motor Action and How Mine in Bulawayo in the league race also in the opening 15 matches of the championship.
It is against such a background that the Bulawayo giants have to find solutions to keep their hopes of ending the season with a major piece of silverware alive.
Bosso are tied on 29 points with second placed Chicken Inn after 15 matches but have a superior goal difference.
“We have been looking into the issue of signing one or two players during the transfer-window and we stand guided by our technical team. The truth of the matter is that we do not have a free-rolling budget but what we are doing is to approach clubs to negotiate on players and look for funds. We will definitely help the coaches bolster the team and we will turn to our supporters and partners in that regard,” Dube said.
Last week the Zambian gaffer who still has the backing of the Highlanders executive despite the three consecutive losses, hinted that he was on the lookout for a striker.
Highlanders’ conversion rate of late has been worrisome despite the fact that they scored 26 goals, the highest number in the first half of the season.
The Bulawayo giants are ruing their missed opportunity of signing the league’s leading goal scorer Tendai Ndoro at the beginning of the season who according to sources was chased away from the Bosso training grounds after making his intentions of joining Highlanders known.
Ndoro has banged 10 goals for Chicken Inn with his tally proving to have been important for the Gamecocks’ desirable first half finish.
Njabulo Ncube who is supposed to be the club’s chief striker has gone on a dry spell and has five goals in his account while Graham Ncube has four goals just like midfielder Mthulisi Maphosa and at the bottom is Beavan Chikaka with three.
Cleopas Dube who joined Bosso from ZPC Hwange during last year’s mid-season transfer window has failed to command a regular first team place with baby faced Ozias Zibande falling by the wayside while youngsters Ryan Howes, Mgcini Sibanda and Bobby Nkomo are struggling to break into the team despite 24 players being tried in the opening half.
What is worrying could be the fact that a majority of the players are over 27 and the Under-20 contingent registered to ensure there is development within teams are struggling for game time. Some have been in the picture since 2011.
Kaindu noted that some of the players will have to be released to make way for new signings.
He could not be drawn into revealing which players the club is targeting.
““To be honest it’s difficult to say which areas need reinforcement because you have to take into account the availability of resources. There is also the issue of finding out the available players on the market. As for releasing players, we have to consider the nature of the contracts the players have with the club.
“As for the youngsters those under the age of 20 years are the future of the club and by now they should be commanding first team places but they are not there because we need to nurture them. These players have come through the youth system at the club but because we are looking for results as a coach I have to play senior guys. The youngsters’ turn will come and that is why we are keeping them within the system,” said Kaindu yesterday.
Last week, the Zambian gaffer was quoted saying; “We have come short upfront but the guys have done well under the circumstances. There is a need to beef up our strikeforce and there are players we have been monitoring and we will have two or so players from the First Division joining us.
“The good thing is that we create chances, which is good for us because it means we just have to work on our finishing so that we pounce on opportunities that come our way. It is better than not creating any chances at all,” said Kaindu.
Sources close to the technical team said Highlanders are likely to recall their striker Gabriel Nyoni who they had loaned to Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League log leaders Bulawayo Chiefs.
Nyoni’s pace and skill has seen him score crucial goals for Bulawayo Chiefs who enjoy a seven-point lead over second placed Black Boots.
Online Reporter