Online Reporter
Noel Munzabwa in Siteki, Eswatini
AS Highlanders Football Club strides confidently into its second century, the affection surrounding the iconic black and white institution has long stretched beyond borders, language and geography. That devotion now reaches deep into the mountainous kingdom of Eswatini, carried faithfully by Swati national Mduduzi Manyatsi. From the quiet town of Siteki, nestled beneath the famed Lubombo Plateau that rolls from Mozambique into South Africa — a town that curiously boasts its own ekasi named Mzilikazi and a sprinkling of Khumalos — the Bosso flame continues to burn brightly, 18 years after it was first lit.
What began as an ordinary educational journey in 2008 slowly blossomed into a football romance that would refuse to fade. Manyatsi’s years at Solusi University, where he would later earn his degree, were never expected to tether him emotionally to a football club beyond his homeland. Yet even after his studies ended and he returned to Eswatini, the bond did not loosen. Distance only reshaped the relationship into a long distance love affair, sustained through memory, shared culture and regular televised glimpses of Tshilamoya in motion.
Those formative moments were rooted in modest weekend routines — errands into Bulawayo that almost inevitably drifted towards the spiritual home of the city’s football culture. Barbourfields Stadium, standing tall in ekasi lase Mzilikazi, offered more than just football; it delivered atmosphere, history and belonging. On that rectangular green, the theatre of the game etched itself into Manyatsi’s heart, making devotion inevitable and absence from a Highlanders match unthinkable, even if it meant following from afar.
“It started in 2008 when I went to Zimbabwe at Solusi University and on weekends we would venture into town for visits and my friends took me to Barbourfields Stadium that’s when I fell in love with the team.
“I would hear of the history and culture and how the people are invested in Highlanders so I was friends with the people who loved Highlanders, though the reason was to watch football, I found a team with very deep history and their style of play I fell in love with,” said Manyatsi.
He is quick to clarify that his affection has nothing to do with namesakes back home. In Eswatini, his local allegiance lies with Manzini Wanderers, and his connection to Bosso was never borrowed or inherited. It grew organically from what he witnessed — a club steeped in culture, carried by its people and expressed through an unmistakable identity on the pitch.
As Highlanders mark a hundred years of existence, Manyatsi speaks of the milestone with evident pride, regarding it as a rare achievement reserved for football’s most enduring institutions.
“Highlanders celebrating 100 years is a great milestone, not many teams reach a centenary in terms of age. They are not at their best at the moment but they should keep it on and try to fight back to their former glory days. They definitely coming back again for as long as they consistent and united,” said Manyatsi.
Even current challenges have done little to unsettle his faith. Where others see six consecutive draws as stagnation, he sees potential taking shape beneath the surface. In a period of transition, patience, he believes, is essential.
“To me that is not a bad result, no loss in six games means a lot considering we have a new technical staff – a new coach who has only been there for a short time but from what I have seen the boys are jelling well. They haven’t found their scoring boots yet but surely they will soon because they are playing good football.”
To him, defensive resilience is already a signal that something is being built correctly. Results may be narrow, but they are pointing in the right direction.
“Not conceding more than they have scored means they are doing something right and surely the team will gel and they will be beating the coming teams. What I can say as well is that the teams they have played so far I can say they have played six of the best, the cream of the Zimbabwe football. It’s not bad results, the six results are not bad results, them not having lost a game means it’s a positive for Highlanders,” said Manyatsi.
And so, in Siteki — far removed from the roar of Barbourfields yet bound tightly to it in spirit — his belief remains unwavering. The wind will never stop blowing. As long as Bosso breathes, so too will its love, carried across borders, cultures and generations by hearts like his.
