Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, Zimpapers Sports Hub
HIGHLANDERS chairman, Kenneth Mhlophe, admits he is haunted by the uncertainty surrounding the club’s women’s team and junior structures, revealing that while the senior team’s finances have stabilised, he is “losing sleep” over the forgotten arms of the Bosso institution.
Though Better Brands has renewed its sponsorship for the 2025 season, the deal now focuses solely on the flagship men’s team. Last year, the package also embraced the Royals – Highlanders’ women’s side – and the junior sides, but those critical developmental and representative pillars have now been left in the cold.
To compound matters, main sponsors Sakunda Holdings and King Bullion have also directed their resources exclusively toward the senior men’s team, leaving a gaping financial void where the club’s identity once proudly flourished.
“The big concern right now is on the women’s team and juniors lacking sponsorship,” Mhlophe told Zimpapers Sports Hub.
“We are working round the clock to make sure the situation is rectified because the juniors and the Royals make Highlanders a complete institution. They therefore cannot be neglected.
“Last year, Better Brands covered our youth teams as well as the Highlanders Royals. This time around, the deal covers only the senior team, meaning we have a gap with regards to Bosso 90, Royals and junior teams respectively.
“This is not just about money – it’s about legacy. These structures are the soul of the club. Without them, we risk losing our identity. Our future champions come from these teams, and if we don’t support them now, it’s a huge problem for the future of Highlanders.”
Mhlophe’s anguish is not without cause. Highlanders’ proud legacy of grooming stars from within has long been central to the club’s identity. The famed junior development system was once a production line of local talent that dominated Zimbabwean football in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
From its nurturing grounds emerged revered names like Thulani “Biya” Ncube, Johannes Ngodzo, Siza Khoza, Gift Lunga Jr, Melusi Sibanda, Zenzo Moyo, Noel Kaseke, Honour Gombami and Simon Sibanda — a golden generation that powered Bosso to four straight league titles and formed the core of the last Highlanders side to win the championship in 2006.
But since then, the system has withered. With sponsorships drying up and strategic shifts prioritising quick-fix signings of aging players, the once-formidable talent pipeline has sputtered.
Now, there’s growing unease that Highlanders are trading their long-term sustainability for short-term appeasement. Critics argue that unless the club revives its junior structures and reinvests in its identity-driven approach, the path back to championship relevance will remain elusive.
For Mhlophe, the urgency couldn’t be clearer.
“These teams are not just add-ons – they are Highlanders. If they fall, we fall,” he said.
As the club fights to keep its legacy alive beyond the glare of first-team lights, the ball is now in the leadership’s court to ensure that the future is not mortgaged for present survival.
— @innocentskizoe
