No deal for Balloteli

BUSTLING striker Cleopas Dube will leave the Highlanders training grounds, the same place he hoped to impress club’s coaches, with his head held high albeit without signing a contract after he was told the team’s final squad for the forthcoming season has been filled up.

Dube, a former Bosso forward who was raised in the coal mining town of Hwange, has been training with the Bulawayo football giants in the last couple of days with hope of re-uniting with his former paymasters.

“He has been training with the team. Unfortunately he joined us when the coaches had already submitted their list of players. But should we get a spot, the coaches might consider him,” said Highlanders communications and marketing officer Nozibelo Maphosa.

Fondly known as Balloteli, Dube was at Botswana Premier Soccer League outfit Jwaneg Galaxy, a club that provides home to other ex-Bosso players Nqobizitha Masuku and Daniel Msendami.

Dube joined Galaxy in August last year.

It is unclear why he decided to leave the Botswana side in the middle of their Champions League.

Besides turning out for Jwaneng Galaxy, the striker also played for Baroka FC and National First Division side Witbank Spurs in South Africa before he went on to play for Sua Flamingoes in Botswana.

At Sua Flamingoes he played under the late Zimbabwean coach Rahaman Gumbo. Bosso recently parted ways with strikers Stanley Ngala and Washington Navaya keeping Lynoth Chikuhwa.

Last week, Amahlolanyama signed ex Chicken Inn striker Brighton Ncube on a three-year contract. Chikuhwa and Ncube are expected to lead the Bosso strike force which last season was found wanting.

Bosso, who have a new technical team that has Kelvin Kaindu, Try Ncube and Agent Sawu, had to heavily rely on set pieces and their defence for goals in a season they finished on position five after scoring 24 goals and conceding 22 to leave them on a goal difference of plus two.

In their first game of the 2024 season, Highlanders are scheduled to face their long-time rivals Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium.- @FungaiMuderere.