Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Innocent Kurira, innocent.kurira@chronicle.co.zw
HIGHLANDERS’ 18-year wait for the league title can only be ended by improving the quality of players in the squad, according to two-time league championship winner, Noah Muvindi.
Muvindi had exciting moments in his career, especially with the Bulawayo giants, which saw him lifting two consecutive Premiership championships and many other trophies in 2001 and 2002.
Muvindi is now a keen observer of the local football scene and attributes Bosso’s struggles to lack of quality players.
“To be honest, Bosso have not had the quality players needed to compete for the league title. When you look at the starting 11 and then the bench, there is a clear lack of depth that can win you a league title. During our days you had two quality players battling for each position, which is not the case now. For example, I personally had Gift Lunga (Jnr) as my competition for the left-back position and sometimes the coach would have a headache on who should start and would ask us to agree on who was to start. I don’t think the players the team has now are the quality which can win you a championship,” said Muvindi.
He believes that a strong and balanced squad is essential for winning the league and unfortunately, Bosso have been lacking in that department.
Muvindi’s comments come at a time when Bosso fans are eagerly waiting for the team to reclaim its former glory.
With the team’s rich history and passionate fan base, there is no doubt that Bosso has the potential to dominate the local football scene once again.
However, according to Muvindi, this will require significant investment to get quality players.
“Bosso needs to attract and retain top talent if they want to compete with the best teams in the league,” said Muvindi who started his career at Giants in Division One before moving to Buffaloes two years later.
He believes Bosso’s player exodus in 2003 disrupted their dominance in the league and Caf Champions League.
“The team lost Adam Ndlovu (late) and Stewart Murisa, who both joined South African clubs. The following season, it was worse because the team lost Dazzy Kapenya, Thabani Masawi, Siza Khoza, Charles Chilufya, Blessing Gumiso and myself,” he said.
Highlanders’ quest for league glory is set to suffer a major setback before the start of the next campaign as they are set to lose key players to newly-promoted Scottland FC.
Peter Muduhwa, Godfrey Makaruse, Lynoth Chikuhwa and Marvelous Chigumira are reportedly bound for Scottland FC, leaving Bosso with a daunting task of finding suitable replacements.
This development comes at a time when Highlanders were showing signs of improvement, particularly in their attacking play.
In the 2024 season, they scored 43 goals, the third-highest tally in the league.
The team’s attacking prowess was further emphasised by their player, Chikuhwa, winning the Golden Boot award after scoring 17 goals.
However, defensive frailties remain a major concern, with Highlanders boasting the 11th-best defence in the league.
The loss of key players will undoubtedly exacerbate this problem, and Bosso will need to spend money on the transfer market or promote from their development sides to beef up their defence.
The club leadership is on record stating that they will be beefing up their squad ahead of next season. —@innocentskizoe
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