Bosso on being first to host foreign team after Uhuru
IN the midst of euphoria of Zimbabwe gaining independence in 1980, Highlanders took it upon themselves to celebrate the monumental occasion through sport as they invited Zambia’s City of Lusaka Football Club to tour Bulawayo.
Seeking partnerships outside the country, Highlanders looked to our northern neighbours who had played a critical role in the country’s liberation struggle and turned to City of Lusaka, whom they claimed the affinity of wearing the same black and white shirt colours.
Recalling the visit, Highlanders president, who was then chairman, Ndumiso Gumede revealed their return visit to Zambia was more memorable as it was emotional particularly having to meet some of the Zimbabwean refugees who were still staying at Victory Camp in Lusaka.
Zimbabweans then based in the neighbouring country were ecstatic to hear Bosso were in town and they went in droves to watch them play City of Lusaka at the Independence Stadium.
“We made a conscious decision to create relationships with teams outside the country and as we had just ushered in Independence, we engaged City of Lusaka, who wore the same colours as us, for a sort of twinning agreement which would be initiated through the teams paying each other visits.
“They came to Bulawayo first in July and we made the reciprocal visit a month later in August,” he said.
City of Lusaka were then chaired by Michael Mwape, who later became Football Association of Zambia president and was part of those who perished in the 1993 Gabon air disaster.
The club played two games in Zimbabwe the first being against Highlanders before making their way to Gweru where they took Gweru United.
Gumede said the Zambians were captivated when their Mayor, Mike Constandinos held a civic reception for visitors at the City Hall to highlight the importance of their visit.
“It was a great honour for the city to host the reception for our visitors and it made them feel very important and appreciated. They certainly enjoyed the night with beer flowing throughout the night,” he said.
The Highlanders president said they also gave the visitors a taste of Bulawayo’s then famed shebeen life with a trip to one joint in Mpopoma, where Gumede had to leave them as they could not have enough of the entertaining township vibe and ended up asking them to take a taxi to their lodgings.
Gumede said the return trip to Zambia began with a headache as most of those who were scheduled to travel did not have passports.
“Before Independence most people did not bother taking passports as they were few opportunities of travel with most only heading to South Africa or Botswana, so now we were in the throes of what do we do with three-quarters of the travelling party that did not have the requisite documents.
“Luckily the celebratory mood that engulfed the country was everywhere and there was a lot of goodwill and we approached the Immigration authorities who issued us with a “paper passport” that had the names of those without passports,” he said.
They travelled to Lusaka through Victoria Falls and passed through the border without any hassles.
He revealed that when news reached Zimbabweans at Victory Camp that Highlanders were in town, they were overjoyed that their kinsmen were in town.
Gumede said most were longing for home and some people they had also travelled with had gone there with the express intent of going to see their relatives in the neighbouring country.
“While we also took our supporters for the tour, there are some who had joined us intending to go and see their relatives, they had nothing to do with football hence we had to pass through Victory Camp.
“Although we had travelled in a 76-seater bus when it was sent to bring those at the camp to the stadium it was packed to the rafters as no one wanted to remain behind as they wanted to see abantu abavela ekhaya,” he said.
“It was truly an emotional and very touching atmosphere that brought many to tears. The joy of being reunited with relatives and just seeing fellow Zimbabweans. The euphoria was just too much, it was as if some were high from smoking mbanje.”
In Zambia, Bosso also played in Kitwe and Luanshya against Power Dynamos and Roan United.
Other members of Bosso included executive members
Smile Ndlovu and Malcom King while among the players there was Douglas Mloyi and Lawrence Phiri who doubled up as a player and a coach.
Mloyi said the trip was a memorable and emotional experience coming soon after the country had been liberated from the yoke of colonialism.
He said some of his teammates included Stanford Ntini, Titus Majola, David Mhlanga, Phineas Mabaleka, Titus Majola, Ernest Sibanda, Peter “Oxo” Nkomo, Nhamo Shambira, Lenny Mnemnekwa, Zenzo Dabengwa, Tymon Mabaleka who was also assistant coach, and David Mhlanga among others while Josiah Nxumalo was the team manager.
Phiri said they passed through then Wankie (Hwange) and picked up three players, Rodrick Chimwanza, Barton Maaloula and Nyaro Mumba, from Wankie FC, to fortify their squad.
“The celebratory mood that engulfed the country made the trip a momentous occasion.
“It was among the first trips organised by the new executive that saw us making annual outside excursions that saw us visit countries such as Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland among other African countries,” he said.
Gumede revealed that they had trouble extricating some of their delegation members as they made a return after some had formed liaisons with Zimbabweans they had met at Victory Camp.
“The euphoria experienced by both those at Victory Camp and our team members saw some create relationships and it gave me a big headache as we were returning home.
“It was a hell of a time trying to convince some of them to board the bus and we had to beg them as we had been given a time limit at the border. Had it not been for the fact we had a single “paper passport”, I would have certainly left some of them behind but at the border post I had to present all those listed on that document.”
He revealed after convincing everyone to board the bus in Lusaka, they realised time was not on their side and decided to enter Zimbabwe through nearer than Victoria Falls but after arriving just before closing time immigration officials declined them passage because of their paper passport and told them to go back through Victoria Falls.
Gumede said they arrived at 4am at the Victoria Falls border with mosquitoes making a feast of them as they waited for the offices to open and they were let through without any problems.