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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS Football Club have promoted 21-year-old defensive midfielder Gillian Nyathi from their development side to the senior team while also revealing forward Bukhosi Sibanda will not be part of Bosso next season.
In a statement on Monday, Highlanders said they will not be renewing Sibanda’s contract when it expires at the end of the year.
“The club would like to announce that Bukhosi ‘Zakhu’ Sibanda will not be part of the squad next season following a mutual agreement against renewing his contract which expires at the end of the year. Zakhu joined the club in October 2018.
“We thank him for his 5 years of discipline, team spirit, hard work, and dedication. We wish him well in his next endeavours,” read the statement.
Sibanda walked out of Cape Town-based First Division side Ubuntu ahead of the 2018/19 season. The striker, together with Prince Dube joined Bosso at that time.
A lot was expected from the striker but he failed to match the memorable first half of 2017 with Bantu Rovers, when he netted an impressive 10 goals in the opening 14 games of the season.
Nyathi was arguably Bosso 90’s best player last season. He is good at breaking up attacks but his major strength is passing range and close ball control.
He can also be used as a central defender because of his huge body frame.
He will battle for a place in the starting line up with the likes of Nqobizitha Masuku, Darlington Mukuli, Mason Mushore and Adrian Silla. In his last press conference before heading back home to Portugal for the off-season, Bosso coach Balmater Brito gave an insight into the type of players he wants next year.
“About next season, the players we will try and we want to have a good possession game and can play the ball comfortably. In football there are rules and also as a player you need to follow the rules.
“The kind of rules need a player to be patient, be good at keeping possession, be able to receive the ball and not to be an anxious player.
The players we want have to know to be at the right place and not everywhere,” Brito said
It remains to be seen if more players will be released by Highlanders and if there will be some coming in.
Brito promoted 16-year old Prince Ndlovu to the first team shortly after replacing Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu as the Highlanders coach — @innocentskizoe
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