CASTLE Lager Premiership clubs will take advantage of the mid-season transfer window which opened on July 1 to beef up their squads as the battle for the championship intensifies.
By Brian Nkiwane
Highlanders, defending champions Dynamos, resurgent CAPS United and on fire ZPC Kariba have been active with all the four clubs having done some business on the transfer market.
Bosso, who have shown determination to end an eight-year league title jinx, have through their chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede confirmed that they will be introducing three new players in their dressing room.
“We have had a number of players that came to try their luck at the club. We lost three players to South African clubs, Peter “Rio” Moyo, Milton Ncube and Kuda Mahachi. We are going to bring three players whose names I cannot reveal now as it might jeopardise some of the deals. What I can tell you is we are bringing a player to each department,” Gumede said.
According to sources close to the club, Bosso, who have for the past five months been looking for a natural right-back after they offloaded Lawson Nkomo, might be reunited with former right-back Ricky Sibiya who is trying out at the club as well as former defender Hloniphani Ndebele.
There are high chances that Njabulo Ncube, who left FC Platinum in a huff after joining the club at the beginning of the year, could make a dramatic comeback to Bosso. Sources revealed that Bosso have another player, Thembinkosi Ncube, who has been in South Africa as well as two more junior players that have been promoted to the senior team.
Dynamos have also confirmed doing business on the transfer market with their strike force being the priority area.
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Speaking to Standardsport secretary general Webster Chike-ngezha said their strikers had been letting them down so there was need to address that area.
“Our major concern has been to address our strike force. I can confirm we have managed to tie down Democratic Republic of Congo-born striker Fabric Mbimba who has been plying his trade in Zambia. We have been waiting for other supporting papers from Zifa and the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) so that we submit them for his work permit. Zifa has already applied for the clearance of the player and we are just waiting for his permit now,” Chikengezha said.
He added; “The rules are that the player must get his permit before coming into the country, so he is not yet here but the deal is almost done. Rodrick Mutuma is available as well; we are just waiting for his arrival so that we can finalise everything.”
Chikengezha added that their other concern was renewing contracts for three senior players that had expired.
“We have been fighting hard to renew contracts for Victor Kamhuka, Oscar Machapa and Augustine Mbara that expired.”
ZPC Kariba, with vast premiership experience, did not rest either. According to sources close to the team, deals for a couple of players that include Tinei Chitora who helped them gain promotion from Division One but later joined Triangle might be on his way back to Gwenya Rechamhembe in a deal that could see hard man Norman Togara going the other way.
Togara had been reported to be Awol but has since resurfaced in Triangle.
ZPC is set to bring back into the fold Daniel Chakupe who was with the team in Division One but later joined Shabanie Mine.
They have also been making efforts to bring Bantu Rovers striker Obadiah Tarumbwa to Kariba, CAPS United midfielder Tendai Samanja and Elvis Meleka, who has been plying his trade in Botswana and is back home with his contract having expired in June.
There are plans to raid Lake Harvest for young Tich Mavhunga as well as Nelson Nelson from Shabanie Mine.
CAPS United boss Twine Phiri was optimistic hot property Dominic Chungwa would stay at the club. He however added that they were adding only Malawian defender George Nyirenda to the current squad.
“We have not been all that active on the market. We have added George Nyirenda to the current squad. We also hope to keep striker Chungwa, Tendai Samanja, Gerald Phiri and Hardlife Zvirekwi who have been on the wish lists of other clubs locally and abroad. Plans are there to register Kelvin Bulaji,” Phiri said.
FC Platinum confirmed the departure of Njabulo Ncube who is going back to Highlanders but kept their fingers crossed that they would snap up Chungwa from CAPS United.
Speaking to this publication, club spokesperson Chido Chizondo said they were still optimistic of getting Chungwa.
“We hear his contract with CAPS expired recently so we hope we will be able to get him. Njabulo has gone back to Highlanders,” Chizondo said.
