By Ricky Zililo
Highlanders are set to lose speedy winger, Gabriel Nyoni, to Botswana champions Township Rollers after he impressed after a short trial stint last week.
Nyoni featured in Township Rollers’ 1-0 win over South African champions, Mamelodi Sundowns in a friendly before flying to Harare for Highlanders’ league match against Black Rhinos 24 hours later.
Township Rollers’ manager Motshegetsi Mafa said they were impressed with Nyoni and had started the process of engaging Bosso for his services.
“We are more than happy with the boy. We want to take him if we can agree with his team. He played very well against Mamelodi Sundowns. We will give you more information once everything is done,” said Mafa.
Highlanders’ chief executive officer Nhlanhla Dube said they would only comment on Nyoni once negotiations have been completed.
Nyoni has been one of the leading lights in coach Madinda Ndlovu’s Bosso rebuilding project.
Township Rollers’ interest in Nyoni comes a year after Bosso turned down a bid from another Botswana topflight outfit, Extension Gunners, for the services of the winger saying their offer did not meet expectations.
Rollers, who have 15 league championships, will have to make a “reasonable” offer to Highlanders to snap up the Bosso vice-captain.
Nyoni is in the last six months of a two-year contract, which he signed at the beginning of 2017.
Bosso are also in the hunt for a striker in the wake of the team’s frontline impotence.
Highlanders have scored 17 goals in 18 league games and their lack of potency has seen them dropping valuable points in matches that they could have easily won.
Chronicle Sport witnessed four new players, including one American, at Bosso’s training session on Wednesday.
Former How Mine forward Tinashe Makanda, who had a short stint with South African First Division side Stellenbosch between January and May, ex-Tsholotsho front man Nixon Gama and an unidentified dreadlocked player from a Central Soccer League side are the new strikers hoping to impress coach Ndlovu.
The American, whom Bosso declined to identify, is a right-back.
“Don’t read much into the new faces you are seeing here training with the team. You will see more players coming to try their luck as the coaches search for a centre forward to meet their needs. Once we have identified and signed any player, we will let you know,” Dube said. –The Chronicle
