By Sikhumbuzo Moyo
Highlanders have failed to secure the services of Delic Murimba, a promising 17-year-old Hwange attacking midfielder after he was snapped up by Lowveld side Triangle United.
While Triangle United coach Taurai Mangwiro claimed negotiations were still in progress, impeccable sources said the Under-20 international youngster, whom the Bulawayo giants had been tracking since midseason, had actually signed a contract with his side through his Harare-based academy which apparently was behind the move.
Highlanders were negotiating with Murimba’s handlers in Hwange, unbeknown to both sides that the boy was actually under contract with a Harare academy who then decided the player, whose profile went even higher after his national team call up, should join Triangle United instead of Highlanders.
“The boy joined Hwange from ZPC Hwange where he had been under the care of some Highlanders supporters who thought they were giving him some premiership experience at Hwange enroute to Highlanders but little did they know that the boy was after all not theirs.
When Bosso came knocking, they were told that the boy was now a Triangle United player,” said a source.
Highlanders chief executive officer Nhlanhla Dube confirmed that they had put the player on their radar and were hoping to seal the deal when he returned from the Cosafa Under-20 Championship in Zambia.
“We understand the boy has signed up for another team at the instigation of his academy in Harare and that means the deal is off for us. All along we were under the impression that he was in the books of our supporters in Hwange and we had agreed with them that the player would come to join us but I guess we have lost out,” said Dube.
Investigations by this publication revealed that Murimba is now a Triangle United player“Negotiations are still on but it’s almost (a done deal).”
Highlanders have always struggled to get players from Hwange in recent years, save for goalkeeper Chenjerai Dube.
At one time the executive had made inroads to get Carrington Gomba, a top notch roving midfielder then and when they went to finalise on the deal, the player was now in the books ofDynamos, Bosso’s long time nemesis on the local front. The Chronicle
