‘We want to be in as many finals as possible’
HIGHLANDERS have declared they will challenge for honours this season after spending 2018 “rejuvenating” themselves with their “back to Bosso roots” project.
Bosso finished fifth last year in a season emphasis was on inculcating the Highlanders’ “philosophy” into their players.
Highlanders made 10 acquisitions during the off-season, bringing on board striker Peter Nyirenda from Zambia, midfielders Nqobizitha Masuku and Devine Mhindirira, forwards Prince Dube and Bukhosi Sibanda, goalkeepers Wellington Muuya and Erick Nyathi, utility player Mbekezeli Sibanda, winger Cleopas Kapupurika and striker, Russell Chifura.
They take on Black Rhinos in their opening game of the 2019 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League campaign in Harare tomorrow.
Announcing the club’s 2019 squad yesterday, Highlanders chief executive officer, Nhlanhla Dube, said they were aiming higher than last season.
“The targets, as a matter of reiterating and recapping are not new. Last year we said we were recreating a playing system and were rejuvenating ourselves. We were blooding players from the junior teams. If you realise last year we brought in about 12 players from the Under-18s and Division One (Bosso 90). A few of them established themselves very well; Andrew Mbeba being one of them, Denzel Khumalo, who had been dropped, came back and re-established himself, Adrian Silla, who had not been a regular in the senior team, also grew in stature,” said Dube.
“So last year we said we wanted to reconnect with the Highlanders system of play and I think we did that to some degree. We had said this year we want to start challenging for what is on offer, so we haven’t set a target that we want to win the league, but certainly to be able to get on the pitch every day and leave our sweat and souls on it. We want to be in as many finals as possible.
“This year the target is to present to the fans a very competitive team that will show a measurement of growth.”
Highlanders’ preparations for the season were affected by two strikes over unpaid salaries, but Dube is hopeful that they will be in the right gear by the third game when they take on Harare City in the capital.
“We’ve regrouped, refocused and the unit is together again. We’ll see how the remedial action taken in terms of trying to bring players to a level of acceptable fitness has been effective. We hope that by the time we get to game three or four we would have managed to bring everything together in competing the way we want to.”
Highlanders have a demanding five opening games, starting their campaign with an away trip to Black Rhinos in Harare followed by a blockbuster against Caps United at Barbourfields Stadium in the second week, before returning to the capital to play against Harare City. Bosso will then host Triangle United in their fourth game of the season and then travel to Harare to face league debutantes Mushowani Stars.