Highlanders’ fans debate new black-and-white kit

FOR Highlanders supporters, nothing strikes a chord quite like the iconic black-and-white striped kit and as such any deviation is met with derision by the Bosso faithful.

Over time, Bosso, the nation’s most storied club, has experimented with the stripes design each season. The unveiling of a new black and white home stripe on Thursday elicited a varied reaction from Highlanders’ fans.

In a renewed partnership, Bosso and Dynamos have once again teamed up with Adidas. The last time the two clubs donned Adidas stripes was in 2014 and this was prior to their alliance with Roar. After Roar, On The Ball’s Looks took over, only to part ways with both teams last season.

Each club has now received three sets of kits: home, away and an alternative. Bosso’s home kit features the traditional stripe, the away kit is entirely black and the alternative is a solid red. Yet, it is the black and white stripe that has sparked discussions on social media. Bosso enthusiasts have compelling reasons for their attachment to the black and white hues.

Historically, the club, initially known as Lions, wore red. This eventually evolved into the black and white stripe, a tribute to the legacy of founders Albert and Rhodes Khumalo, descendants of Njube, son of King Lobengula. In isiNdebele, the pattern of black and white on cow hides is referred to as iwaba, thus a cow with such markings is called iwabakazi. Ndebele regiments distinguished themselves with specific colours on their shields, among other items. King Lobengula’s regiment was named Amawaba, and the area they occupied is still known as eMawabeni.

Notably, the transition from Matabeleland Highlanders to simply Highlanders is one of several changes over the years. For example, the shield logo was adopted from Swaziland/eSwatini during the late Ndumiso Gumede’s tenure circa 1975/76, following the club’s visit to the Kingdom, where they also embraced the Kingdom’s motto “Siyinqaba”.