Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, Zimpapers Sports Hub
PIETER De Jongh walks back into Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday, not as a visitor or a ghost from the past, but as Highlanders’ head coach once more. His return stirs memories both sweet and sour, yet it could not have come at a more desperate moment. Bosso are hovering just four points above the relegation zone — a position that would have been unthinkable during the club’s glory years.
This is no longer about chasing trophies. It is about survival.
De Jongh, affectionately nicknamed “Hlabangana” during his first spell, is remembered for breathing life back into the black-and-white in 2019. In just a few months, he guided Highlanders to the Chibuku Super Cup and salvaged a disastrous start to finish sixth in the league. Fans dared to dream again. The team played with freedom. He danced with the crowd, and for a while, everything felt right.
Then it all unravelled. His shock move to FC Platinum as Bosso prepared for a new season left bitterness in its wake. The trust fractured even further when, while preparing Platinum for the Caf Champions League, he remarked: “Highlanders is finished, the book is closed.”
Now, football’s script has flipped. De Jongh returns to Barbourfields, not to chase glory, but to save Bosso’s Premier League life.
“About six years ago, in 2019, I was here. I think everyone knows Bosso has great fans, enormous support, but we have to be realistic. If you look from 2011 to 2025, the club has only one major trophy. I am happy to be back because there is a great atmosphere at Barbourfields. I am here for one reason — to help the club survive in the Premier League. The past is the past. I am glad to return.
“I think three players remain from 2019; the rest, including staff, some of them are new. Bulawayo is still the same, I love Bulawayo and Zimbabwe. My target is saving the club from relegation. We need to reach 40 points. It is tough; many big teams are also fighting to survive,” said the Dutchman.
The only major trophy Highlanders have lifted in the past decade was the 2015 NetOne EasyCall Cup under Amin Soma-Phiri. That drought underscores the scale of the task ahead.
De Jongh has already warned that the 2025 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League is unforgiving.
“This league is incredibly competitive. There are no easy games anymore. Every point has to be earned. That’s why we need our supporters now more than ever,” he said.
He has called on fans to rally behind the team, starting with Sunday’s crucial home tie against Yadah at Barbourfields. The mission is simple: avoid the drop. The question is whether Bosso’s returning son can deliver salvation a second time.
Fixtures
Saturday
Bikita Minerals v TelOne (Gibbo), Ngezi Platinum v FC Platinum (Baobab), Scottland v Dynamos (Rufaro), Greenfuel v Simba Bhora (Greenfuel Arena), MWOS v Chicken Inn (Ngoni)
Sunday
Highlanders v Yadah (Barbourfields), CAPS United v ZPC Kariba (Rufaro), Triangle v Herentals (Gibbo), Kwekwe United v Manica Diamonds (Ascot)
