Ngodzo trains with Bosso

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Highlanders skipper Zephania Ngodzo could emerge as the club’s solution to the right back position after he started training with the 2006 league champions at White City Stadium yesterday.Ngodzo left Bosso for FC Platinum in 2011 and two years later joined Chicken Inn.

The training session was under the watchful eyes of head coach Kelvin Kaindu, assistant Mark Mathe, former assistant coach Bekithemba Ndlovu and club legend Peter Nkomo.

Ngodzo was offloaded by ambitious Chicken Inn. The hard tackling defender has joined his younger brother Joel as Bosso seek to topple Dynamos at the top of the Premiership. The Harare giants have won three consecutive titles all by a superior goal difference.

Zephania has the advantage of being comfortable in any of the four defensive positions as well as anchoring. His arrival could add to the competition in defence. Highlanders struggled almost throughout the whole season last year to find a permanent right back with the coaches rotating Lawson Nkomo, Bruce Tshuma, Eric Mudzingwa and midfielder Simon Munawa but not one of them seemed comfortable in that position.

There was, however, no sign of the promised Zambian player. The two Canadian players, goalkeeper Jean-Felix Lemieux and striker Phillippe Barriault were also given some game time and both showed some touches of brilliance especially Barriault who exhibited some good stuff with his ball control and was always eager to shoot at goal, giving Ariel Sibanda some anxious moments even from acute angles.

Meanwhile, scores of Highlanders supporters were turned away at the stadium as they jostled to catch a glimpse of their 2014 squad at training.

When the news crew arrived at the gate, some supporters begged to jump onto the crew’s vehicle as it made its way into the stadium.
“Madoda sifuna ukubona abafana bethu (gentlemen we want to see our boys), but oMakokoba (slang for city council security) basivalela phandle (are shutting us out),” said one of the supporters.

Highlanders will play their first competitive match of the season when they take part in the second edition of the Cephas George Msipa Scholarship Trust Charity football tournament set for February 8.

They will clash with Chapungu at Ascot Stadium while Shabanie FC and FC Platinum settle old scores at Mandava Stadium in the other semi-final.

The next big match will be against Harare City in the Bob 90 Super Cup semi-final on February 16 at Barbourfields Stadium and if they prevail, DeMbare will be their next opponents in the final a week later.