Bosso journal released
By Ronald Mashinga
THE first episode of a six-part online journal series titled “The Bosso Journals” was released last Saturday by the online Football and the City (FATC) Magazine.
FATC is an England online football magazine that explores global football culture and tackles discrimination in the game.
The journal begins by mentioning the crowds that throng Barbourfields Stadium, Bosso’s home ground, makes special mention of the sometimes militant Soweto End singing.
It also looks at the origins of Highlanders, founded in 1926 by Albert and Rhodes Khumalo.
“The brothers had been sent to South Africa to study by colonialists, as a means of appeasing the monarch, who had begrudgingly given up some of his people’s land to Beit, Rhodes and others. He had been tricked, as it soon became clear that the land was to be wholly annexed and this deception triggered the First Matabele War,” reads an excerpt from FATC Magazine.
“But the Princes had returned from South Africa with football. After 11 years of playing as Lions Football Club, the players changed the name to Matabeleland Highlanders Football Club in 1937. The name was chosen to proudly reflect the region which they represent. It was a way of reclaiming their heritage. It was a club of resistance. Much like their fiercest rivals, Dynamos, they have often been a focal point in Zimbabwe for rebellion and freedom.”
The journal goes on further to look at the Bosso-DeMbare rivalry.
“It is important to note that when it came to player recruitment, Highlanders were open to all and did not choose players along ethnic lines, even from their earliest days. Nowadays both clubs are explicit that they welcome both groups.”
In 1966, Bosso were invited to join the Rhodesia National Football League (RNFL) and in 1968, they joined officially, taking part in Division Two. They got promoted for the first time and by 1970 they were playing in the Super League, the topflight in Rhodesian football. They won their first national trophy in 1973.
They dropped the Matabeleland part of the name in 1975 at the insistence of the now late former Vice-President, Joshua Nkomo. Father Zimbabwe felt that football was still drawn under tribal lines too much to benefit the nationalist movement and there had been one-too-many clashes with Mashonaland United, who similarly dropped theirs to become Zimbabwe Saints.
“A year later, the spirit of rebellion rose again, when Bosso realised that the RNFL were mismanaging finances and taking disproportionate cuts from gate receipts.
They left the association and founded the South Zone Soccer League (SZSL), a decision that almost destroyed the club entirely. A number of senior players left to form a new club, Olympics, and even took the black and white kit with them.
“Happily, Highlanders not only survived, but flourished. A number of Harare-based clubs followed suit. Finally in 1980, the same year that Zifa was officially accepted by Caf, the Zimbabwe Super League was formed. It took Highlanders Bosso a decade to win their first league title, but have been making up for lost time ever since. They have now won seven,” reads the magazine. The Chronicle
