Broke Bosso risk losing trio

By Ricky Zililo

Struggling Bulawayo giants Highlanders FC are in danger of losing the trio of Obidiah Tarumbwa, Teenage Hadebe and Nqobizitha Masuku before the end of the season after failing to honour the existing loan agreement with their parent club.

Zifa Southern Region Division One league side Bantu Rovers are reportedly unhappy with Bosso’s failure to pay the loan fees and are now mulling withdrawing the services of their players. Tarumbwa, Masuku and Hadebe are on a season long loan at Bosso.

Sources said Highlanders also owes the three players substantial amounts related to the deal. Highlanders, who beat How Mine and Chicken Inn for the services of Hadebe and Masuku, were supposed to have offset the outstanding loan fees on August 31.

“Highlanders agreed to clear the loan fees by August 31 but they’re yet to do that.

“The players have even told Bantu Rovers that they’re afraid of losing out on the money owed to them as part of the deal once the loan deal expires,” said a source.

“The players said Bosso haven’t paid them their signing on fees. The Bantu Rovers board has instructed the general manager Wilbert Sibanda to speedily deal with the matter,” the source said.

Since joining Bosso, the three players have been vital cogs in the squad, with Tarumbwa forming one of the most lethal partnerships in the league with national Under-23 forward Knox Mutizwa.

Mutizwa is the league’s leading goal scorer with 10 goals, and the player, who missed a number of games at the beginning of the season, has attributed his form to Tarumbwa’s proficiency.

Tarumbwa, whose consistent performance earned him the Bosso captaincy, has scored four goals. Masuku and Hadebe’s performances have seen them being selected as regulars in the national Under-23s. They are presently with the Young Warriors’ squad competing at the African Games in Congo Brazzaville.

Bantu Rovers’ Sibanda would neither confirm nor deny that Bosso have not honoured terms for the three players.

“That issue is between us and Highlanders. We can’t discuss that in the Press. They’re in a better position to speak about it if they so wish,” Sibanda said. Bosso chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede said the club is committed to honouring its contractual obligations with Bantu Rovers.

“It’s true we owe them and we’ve written to them about the matter. There is an instalment that we haven’t paid, but just like any other local club, we find ourselves not in a good financial position but that’s not to say we won’t pay, we’re working on it,” said Gumede.

With Bantu Rovers ruled out of the Premier Soccer League promotion race, Gumede hinted that Bosso would be keen on re-engaging the services of Hadebe and Masuku.

However, Hadebe could prove difficult to retain as his performances have attracted the attention of a number of South African clubs including Ajax Cape Town who are home to former Bosso players Milton Ncube and Thomas Chideu.

Highlanders owe a number of their present and former players signing on fees. Two months ago, Bosso lost the services of midfielder Welcome Ndiweni, who walked out on the club after writing off about $3,000 owed to him by the club in signing on fees. Ndiweni now turns out for Southern Region Division One log leaders Bulawayo City.

Ozias Zibande also quit the Bulawayo giants and joined Gaborone United coached by former Bosso coach Rahman Gumbo in the Botswana Premier League after reportedly falling out with former Bosso coach Bongani Mafu, who was fired last week following a string of poor results.

The financially embattled Bosso were recently forced to scrounge for resources to save their property from going under the hammer after losing a Labour Court case against their former midfielder Masimba Mambare.

Highlanders, who are $500,000 in the red, owed Mambare $10,000. The Chronicle