I can’t choose my players’ lovers: Madinda
IN the wake of last week’s story titled: “Boys gone wild at Bosso . . . older women, substance abuse threaten to ruin young talent”, that was carried by our sister paper B- Metro, Highlanders technical manager, Madinda Ndlovu, says while it would be difficult for one to choose a player’s female partner and taming their drinking habits, he was appealing to every Bosso stakeholder to highly consider working hand in glove in building the future of youngsters in his team.
An impeccable source within the Bosso camp told our sister paper last week that some players were in the habit of seeing older women in the high density suburbs of Mpopoma and Mzilikazi. The source added some of the club’s players were struggling with illegal substance consumption.
Ndlovu, a well known teetotaller and disciplinarian, said: “At Highlanders, we are all stakeholders; the supporters, the members of the media and ourselves. Everyone who loves this team has a role. We are therefore asking that if there is any such kind of behaviour by our players please come forward and tell us that some players are not conducting themselves in a sporting manner because we cannot be at all places every time. Some of us are not outgoing and we don’t drink and we can’t see what some of the boys will be doing.”
The legendary former Bosso son and an ex- member of the Dream Team, whose ECD project has charmed many courtesy of its passing football and charismatic wing play, added: “It is very difficult for one to choose a player’s partner, every individual has the right to choose his or her partner. So some of the things cannot be directly linked to football but we become worried about maybe players that drink too much and sleep at night clubs. So let’s come together and build these youngsters. Young boys often go through this.”
Early this year Bosso ventured in a rebuilding exercise that saw the club make use of young players, in the process putting together a team meant to clinch trophies in the forthcoming seasons.
Young Bosso players that include Denzel Khumalo, Adrian Silla, Brian Banda, MacClive Phiri, Mbongeni Ndlovu, Patrick Ben Musaka, Godfrey Makaruse, Nigel Makumbe, goalkeeper Nedrick Madeya, Andrew Mbeba and Vincent Moyo, among others have taken turns to dazzle in the famous black and white stripes alongside veterans Peter Mudhuwa, Ariel Sibanda, Tendai Ndlovu, Gabriel Nyoni, Newman Sianchali, and captain Honest Moyo.
And for the greater part of this season the club’s fans responded by descending on Barbourfields Stadium in their thousands regardless of the opponents.
From the squad of 30 players, 18 were under 23 years of age, one is 24 years old, three are 25 and eight are above 25 years.