Vusumuzi Dube
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS players resumed training on Wednesday while the club’s leadership held a meeting with Footballers Union of Zimbabwe as well as the Bosso captains to find a solution to the standoff.
The fit Highlanders players took part in a gym session conducted by the club’s fitness trainer Harold Nhachi at a facility situated in Bulawayo’s Central Business District. While others were sweating it off, captain Ariel Sibanda, his deputies Nqobizitha Masuku and Peter Muduhwa headed off for a meeting with the Johnfat Sibanda led executive called for by FUZ. Desmond Maringwa, the FUZ president came all the way from Harare specifically to attend to the Highlanders players situation. His deputy Hebert Dick also attended the meeting.
Highlanders players last week embarked on a strike which saw them boycott training in the days leading up to their Chibuku Super Cup clash against Bulawayo City at Barbourfields Stadium as they pushed the executive to honour a promise to review upwards their remuneration.
The players only trained on the eve of the match but still managed to record a 1-0 triumph over Amakhosi, the only goal of the match being a penalty scored by Ariel Sibanda, which saw them extend their unbeaten run in the Chibuku Super Cup to seven matches, stretching back to 2019 when they won the country’s most rewarding club competition.
On Tuesday, the Bosso players refused to take part in a scheduled gym session since no solution had been found.
Highlanders are not in action in the Chibuku Super Cup, which has given the club’s leadership enough time to attend to the players’ grievances.
The Bosso players are meant to resume field training on Thursday and it remains to be seen if they will take part.
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Bongani Ndlovu