Bosso chair bemoans Stars miss

By Mukudzei Chingwere

Highlanders chairman Modern Ngwenya has bemoaned his club’s poor season which was underlined by the absence of any Bosso player on the 2017 Castle Soccer Stars calendar.

It will be rare sight for the multitude of Highlanders fans to look at the calendar of top Premiership performers of the year and find that there is no-one adorning the famous black and white Bosso strip.

Yet in the past such players like the legendary Peter Ndlovu, the late Mercedes Sibanda, Peter Ndlovu, Zenzo Moyo and Dazzy Kapenya have previously landed the top gong and Bosso had presented the country with some of the best talent.

Save for this season and a few others Highlanders have always had a consistent presence if not dominance on the soccer stars calendar.

In 2012 under Kevin Kaindu they had four players on the final 11, Masimba Mambare, Arial Sibanda, Innocent Mapuranga and Mthulisi Maphosa.

After leaving the soccer stars banquet empty handed Ngwenya, acknowledged that they had a forgettable season in which the Bulawayo giants were conspicuous s by their absence from the championship fight which was largely a four team race involving eventual champions FC Platinum, Dynamos, Ngezi Platinum and Chicken Inn.

“It is because it was a bad patch and it is natural that every club goes through a bad patch.

“As you know Highlanders on a day like this we would have produced three Soccer Star finalists or even the Soccer Star himself.

We used to grace this podium with a Soccer Star the likes of Mercedes Sibanda, Zenzo Moyo, Dazzy Kapenya. We have produced stars at highlanders,” Ngwenya said.

Asked what might have befallen the Bulawayo giants to perform badly this season the Bosso chairman blamed their former coach Erol Akbay.

“Unfortunately him (Akbay) announcing that he was not going to renew his contract demoralised, disheartened and psychologically affected the players.

“You should have seen the game that we played against Harare City after he announced that he was not going to renew his contract, you could tell by their body language that the players were really affected by what he had said.

“I believe that the cause in our dip in form was the unfortunate, premature announcement that he was not going to renew his contract,” said Ngwenya.

Although he is still keeping his cards close to his chest, Ngwenya hinted that Highlanders would recruit their next coach from one of their former players.

“We are in the process of identifying a coach that will add value to Highlanders, a coach who believes in the culture of Highlanders, a coach who will make us relieve the good old times at Highlanders.

“We are definitely looking at our former sons there are many the likes of Rahman Gumbo, Madinda Ndlovu and many others.

“But I promise you that come 2018 we will be a rejuvenated and revamped side,” said the Bosso chairman. The Chronicle