HIGHLANDERS coach Madinda Ndlovu has identified three players from the club’s developmental side, Bosso 90, to rope into the senior team during the mid-season transfer window in July as the Bulawayo football giants’ new-look side takes shape.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
The trio of defender Cardwell Gawaza and midfielders Dominic Jaricha and Darlington Mukuli impressed Ndlovu when they featured for the Zifa Southern Region Division One side against Bulawayo City in the friendly match to mark the Independence celebrations on Wednesday at White City Stadium
Gawaza (22) is a central defender, but was thrust at right-back against Bulawayo City, while Jaricha, also 22, is an attacking midfielder with Mukuli (19) a defensive linkman, who came in for first team regular Adrian Silla in that game.
Besides the three, Ndlovu was particularly interested in defender Andrew Mbeba as his side has been afflicted by injuries of late with six matches played in the Premier Soccer League so far with man-of-the-moment MacClive Phiri and skipper Honest Moyo doubtful for the league game against Shabanie Mine this afternoon due to injury.
The duo missed the President’s Cup tie for the Warriors against the Zebras of Botswana on Independence Day at the National Sports Stadium and Mbeba is registered under the developmental players’ quota at Highlanders.
“We gained more from that game than Bulawayo City because I can now safely put my CEO (Nhlanhla Dube) under pressure to say there are players that we will definitely be looking at in the next window. I am happy with what I saw,” he said.
“We only trained that team for two days and I am glad we were able to come up with some good combinations. We wanted to see players like Andrew (Mbeba). It was an opportunity for us to see those players in action and looking at players that we have identified from Division One that we think have got potential.
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“One example is Dominic (Jaricha) and he was outstanding that day. It was a great opportunity for us to look at these players in a highly competitive game. Bulawayo City went for broke, they were strong, fielded their first team and it was good for our boys. It meant we would get the right competition to assess our boys. There is Darlington (Mukuli) who also has great potential and there was Cardwell (Gawaza). I saw something from Cardwell at training and used him at the right back and he did exceptionally well,” Ndlovu said. At the beginning of the season, Ndlovu, who has been tasked to bring back glory days at the Bulawayo giants, assembled a squad of players with an average age of 23 rejecting veterans Simon Munawa, Erick Mudzingwa, Ralph Matema and Allen Gahadzikwa, who have sought refuge elsewhere.
