Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HIGHLANDERS find themselves at a crossroads as supporters wait for word on who will take charge after Pieter De Jongh’s exit. Names keep circulating and the club insists the process is underway, yet the guessing game has only fuelled more talk among members desperate to know where the team is headed.
What is clear is that Highlanders, who last week turned down a one million dollar package tied to coach Benjani Mwaruwari from benefactor Wicknell Chivayo, will keep the search within familiar territory.
The club looks set to follow its long standing pattern and settle on either a foreign coach or a son of Bulawayo.
Lizwe Sweswe sits high on that list. The FC Platinum title winner has built a reputation for sharp judgement and a rare eye for raw talent.
His rise began with the rural Tsholotsho side he drove into the Premiership ten years ago and his qualifications match the job he now dreams of. His story started with North Rovers’ women’s team in the late nineties and a return home would carry real meaning.
Thulani Sibanda is another name that fits Bosso’s needs. Quiet, thoughtful and methodical, he is the kind of coach who has grown through careful team building and a belief in polishing rough diamonds.
Highlanders have been rewarded before when taking a chance on younger thinkers like Silas Ndlovu, Methembe Ndlovu, Barry Daka and Rahman Gumbo.
Sibanda feels like a natural continuation of that tradition. His background in teaching and policing gives him an advantage in understanding the complex mix of fans, leadership and media that defines Bosso.
Former Bulawayo Chiefs coach and academic Joseph Sibindi is also in the frame.
He carries strong technical grounding from his work as a lecturer, coach educator and technical director and has long been open about wanting to lead Highlanders.
Amin Soma Phiri remains another realistic option. He restored discipline during a six month spell as manager in 2025 and has a past that includes lifting the NetOne Easy Call Cup and years of service as a player.
He understands Bosso’s culture and expectations and has always trusted talent from townships and lower leagues which suits a club working with tight resources.
Nation Dube brings experience from Hwange, Gwanda and the national team structures where he served as assistant coach.
He holds a Caf A licence and may benefit from some distance from the political noise that sometimes surrounds Bulawayo football.
Like Sibanda and Sibindi, he has excelled at modest clubs without the pressure Highlanders attract.
Philani Beefy Ncube has never hidden his desire for the job. The 2009 Zimbabwe Coach of the Year has often spoken about leading the Bosso dugout as one of the challenges he still wants to conquer.
Philani Mabhena offers another steady hand after stints with Chicken Inn, How Mine and a spell in Botswana.
There is even room for a quiet outsider in the form of Farai Tawachera, a Bulawayo courts official who has been working his way up the coaching ladder and hopes for a chance many see as daunting.
Among the foreign candidates, Thabo Senong tops the pile. The former South Africa Under 20 coach has worked with the Under 23s and Bafana Bafana and gained experience in Malawi and Tanzania.
Those stints broadened his outlook beyond the South African style. Should he arrive in Bulawayo, he would follow in the footsteps of Trevor Macmillan, who once coached Old Miltonians and Wanderers, later Eagles. Senong once came close to joining FC Platinum and would welcome a reunion with Highlanders chief executive Denzil Mnkandla who nearly became his boss then.
The appointment carries weight for Mnkandla who is expected to drive the club’s turnaround. The new coach will be expected to align with the CEO’s vision and the broader plan for the club.
There has also been interest in former Zambian internationals Wedson Nyirenda and Tennant Chilumba. Chilumba knows Zimbabwean football well from his time in Hwange and FC Platinum where he laid early foundations for the club that went on to dominate the league.
He brings added experience from Morocco and Saudi Arabia and once played alongside Kalusha Bwalya. Nyirenda spent time at Kaizer Chiefs as a player and also carries strong credentials.
As the wait continues, attention has turned to Benjani Mwaruwari’s potential role.
Many within the club believe he could be appointed sporting director. His network in France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and his global profile could open doors Bosso have struggled to unlock.
The hope is that unlike previous foreign coaches who left Bosso with debt and no commercial gain, the next technical team will finally provide tangible progress. Assistants too will be expected to show clear growth, something that has been missing in past appointments.
The city stands still for the announcement, another late night drop that will reveal who steps into one of the toughest jobs in Zimbabwean football.
