‘Guide me back home’. . . Goddard plots Highlanders return

By Sikhumbuzo Moyo

Big Chicken Inn utility player Guide Goddard has hinted on intentions of retracing his footsteps to childhood side Highlanders exactly eight years after being frustrated by then coach Mohammed Fathi.

The former Ihlathi High School pupil had a decent 2017 season under coach Rahman Gumbo where he was used either in central defence or holding midfield positions.

He was a key member of the GameCocks as they underlined their title ambitions until he suffered a knee injury, which has since fully healed.

“It’s no secret that Highlanders is my home and I want to go back home and wear that black and white sacred jersey once more. I have great respect for Chicken Inn, but lawe uyazi ekaMatshobana it’s something else,” said Goddard.

His contract with the GameCocks ends this month and if he manages to switch, he will join the Bulawayo giants as a free agent.

The former Under-20 international, who during his time with the Young Warriors, marked out Nigeria’s former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, began his career with the Highlanders’ juniors, starting from the Under-14s and rising through the ranks up to the first team.

He also played for the Bulawayo National Youth Games teams from 2003 to 2006 under Amini Soma-Phiri.

Soma-Phiri is believed to have tried to bring back Goddard to Bosso in 2015, but the deal fell through under unclear circumstances.

The Bulawayo giants’ leadership have said the team will now rely fully on its own products, with those set to be added to the system expected to be exceptionally talented and not bench warmers that add to the team’s already ballooning debt.

Another product of the junior policy Ozias Zibande, who was also frustrated out of the team, is believed to have already penned a two-year deal with the Bulawayo giants.

“The coming in of Zibande was sweet music to incoming coach Madinda Ndlovu, who is an admirer of his style of play and I believe a number of players are also eager to come on board and play for Ndlovu, who they hero worship.

Believe you me, it will be a completely different Highlanders next season,” said a source close to the Bulawayo giants.

Ndlovu is yet to put pen to paper, but the deal is believed to be as good as done with focus now on the legendary winger’s assistant. The Chronicle