Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS have started applying for visas to tour England and some Schengen countries as part of a voyage to learn how top clubs in Europe are run.
Bosso principal sponsor Sakunda Holdings is bankrolling the trip as part of several add-ons to its three-year partnership with the Bulawayo side.
Sakunda Holdings has also presented the same opportunity to Dynamos, as it continues to capacitate the country’s two biggest football clubs to make them self-sustainable.
Sakunda Holdings boss Kuda Tagwireyi revealed at the official kit presentations to Bosso and DeMbare last Friday that they assigned the two teams’ executives to choose three teams in the top European leagues to visit and exchange notes.
Bosso said they have identified countries whose football has professional and commercial appeal.
The club also allayed fears that the trip could fall by the wayside and miss an opportunity to travel abroad due to Zimbabwe’s suspension by Fifa.
“We are in the process of acquiring visas and coming up with an itinerary in liaison with possible clubs to tour. This is not an international event and it is not on the Fifa or Caf calendar of activities. The country’s suspension has nothing to do with non-official football business,” said Highlanders’ chief executive officer Ronald Moyo.
“It’s a look and learn tour to see how top clubs in the first world are run and also meant to create relations and to look at possible partnerships. Whatever we learn from there will make us pick what we feel we are not up required standards and apply what is relevant to our environment.
“We will be touring England and possibly some Schengen countries still to be confirmed. We are choosing the countries that are rated among the best in the world in terms of professionalism and commercial appeal,” he said.
There are 26 Schengen countries, among them Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Highlanders last toured Europe in 1987 when they went to Germany and played some matches, including against then Division One side Emstedden 05, a club Madinda Ndlovu and Tito Paketh immediately signed for before later being joined by Willard Khumalo in 1989. – @ZililoR
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