marble nkomo
Innocent Kurira, Zimpapers Sports Hub
BENJANI Mwaruwari touched down in Bulawayo on Saturday afternoon and Highlanders didn’t waste a second turning it into a statement.
The club unveiled Zimbabwe’s most recognisable football export as head coach, and the moment instantly flipped the mood around Bosso. After months of noise, delays and uncertainty, the city finally has a name, a face and a plan to pin its hopes on.
Soon after arriving, Mwaruwari sat down with the Highlanders leadership to map out the season and the direction of the club. It wasn’t a courtesy meeting. It was the start of a job that comes with pressure, history, and a fan base that has run out of patience.
“I can’t really explain how I am feeling right now,” said Mwaruwari shortly after landing. “I’m just so happy and excited to be back. It feels like home because I played here for the juniors, and now I have the chance to give back and work with the team.”
He didn’t come back to make up numbers.
Mwaruwari set his target in the first breath and made it clear Highlanders aren’t rebuilding for the sake of it. He wants trophies, and he wants them with urgency.
“The objective is to win trophies. I am from Bulawayo. Maybe we are going to celebrate the 100 years with trophies and as the Highlanders family, we are wishing for that,” he said.
In Bulawayo, that kind of talk doesn’t land softly. It lands like a challenge.
Highlanders supporters have watched too many seasons slip away with excuses, near-misses and resets.
They have stayed loyal through lean years, and the club’s failure to turn big moments into silverware has only tightened the pressure around every decision made at Emagumeni.
Mwaruwari is selling something bigger than a coaching appointment. He is selling a return to identity, and he knows exactly how deep his roots run at the club.
“I played for Highlanders in my junior years and it has always been my wish to be part of this great club,” he said.
But romance won’t win matches, and Mwaruwari knows the timing is brutal. Pre-season is already rolling, the work has started, and there’s no gentle introduction waiting for him.
Highlanders are expected to hit the ground running, and the new coach says there’s no space for celebration.
“There is no time to rest as we have to continue with recruiting players that will do duty for us,” he said.
Recruitment is now the first test, and it won’t be clean. With the new season scheduled to kick off in March, most of the top talent has already been snapped up, leaving Highlanders with a shrinking market and a restless fan base watching every move. Mwaruwari admitted the reality is tough, but he insisted they still have to find answers.
“We are fortunate enough that the other coaches have been working on the team and in terms of depth we have to look around and see if we can get good players. It’s not going to be easy given all good players on the market have gone, but we have to find a solution to making a good team,” he said.
The other story is the technical bench, and it still has a loose end.
Highlanders have confirmed Mkhokheli Dube as one of the assistant coaches, while Bruce Tshuma will be the team manager. The club is now waiting on South African coach Thabo Senong, who had been appointed head coach before Highlanders changed direction and handed the job to Mwaruwari.
Senong has not officially communicated whether he will accept a role in the new set-up, leaving supporters and players watching closely for the next announcement.
“The backroom staff is sorted and the club will announce out soon,” said Mwaruwari, even as the club awaits Senong’s final position.
For now, the headline is simple.
Benjani is back in Bulawayo, back at Highlanders and he has walked straight into one of the hardest jobs in local football. The expectations won’t slow down, the questions won’t stop and the March start date is already looming.
Online Reporter