Bosso youth policy still very much alive

Sport
Most, if not all of Highlanders FC’s successful epochs have been a traceable result of a vibrant junior policy

Most, if not all of Highlanders FC’s successful epochs have been a traceable result of a vibrant junior policy.

By Sakheleni Nxumalo

This has been evident from results of the junior policy of the late 80s that produced football greats like the legendary Ndlovu brothers Madinda, Peter and the late Adam, to the period that saw Bosso capture four consecutive league titles at the turn of the century.

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Equally evident, the Bulawayo giants’ decade long title-starved run coincides with a period where the club had neglected its youth policy. So, the fact that Highlanders development sides ruled the roost in 2015 should be a good omen for Tshilamoya in the coming seasons.

What has been worrying most in recent months is the fact that the performance by the developmental sides had failed to rub onto their senior team which finished the league on an unfamiliar sixth position.

The coaches that have taken charge of the Bulawayo giants have not had enough trust in the youngsters that have ruled the roost, with some of them promising to be big names in the coming season.

A number of top clubs are already making moves to snap up some of the Highlanders youngsters while their own coaches do not see the potential in them.

This has, for many seasons now, been Highlanders’ undoing. They continue to lose most of their youngsters that would have been brewed in their junior ranks because of their failure to take notice of the young talent. Highlanders Academy head coach Melusi Sibanda, however, thinks otherwise.

“A number of boys who were part of the team that gained promotion into Southern Region Division One are now ripe for the big stage. It will be tough as most of these promising youngsters are set to graduate to the senior team. We can’t afford to keep on buying players while we have capable players in the developmental side. It’s time they get their chance as well,” Sibanda said.

The Highlanders Academy side won promotion into the Southern Region Division One Soccer League after finishing as runners up to Talen Vision in the Bulawayo Province Division Two, while Bosso Under-14 and Under-18 sides were crowned champions in the Bulawayo Province Series A, with the Under-16 side finishing in third place.

Sibanda reckons that winning all those championship titles was not a stroll in the park.

“The championship races were very tough and I am very happy with the way the boys performed. I think quite a number of them deserve to be promoted into the first team. If that happens, their places will be taken by those that will graduate from the Under-18 squad,” Sibanda said.

Some of the boys that shone for the Bosso development side included the Bulawayo Province Division Two top goal scorer Prince Dube who hit the target 20 times, his striking partner Thamsanqa Ncube, who found the target nine times, Brian Banda and Adrian Silla.

Highlanders Academy finished the season on 55 points, four behind the champions Talen Vision.

In the Bulawayo Province Junior League Series A, the Highlanders Under-18 side won the championship after a trailblazing season that saw them conquer the opposition in devastating fashion.

The Bosso Under-18 side scored a total of 115 goals on their way to accumulating a total of 78 points with second-placed Bantu Rovers managing 65 points.

Outstanding players for the Highlanders Under-18 squad included McCarthy Dube, the league’s top goal scorer with a whopping 36 goals to his credit, and the versatile Donnet Fosho.

The Highlanders Under-16 side finished in third place, behind Mpumelelo with both sides tied on 65 points and the latter in second spot on superior goal difference.

Bantu Rovers Under-16 were the champions in this category with 77 points to their credit.

In the Under-14 division, Highlanders edged Bantu Rovers by a single point to lift the championship. Bosso Under-14 collected 71 points while Tshintsha Guluva managed 70.

Highlanders’ head of development Dumaza Dube attributed their success to good planning.

“This is a process that was started way back in 2011 and all the meticulous planning is now bearing fruit. People believe in immediate results but with juniors, there has to be capacity building in order to achieve long-term goals because the game of football continues to grow and has become very scientific,” Dube said.