Supporter certain of Bosso clinching title

Sport
If you take a glimpse just opposite Bulawayo Central Police Station, you can easily recognise that he is a big Highlanders fan.

HIS FAVOURITE team is no secret to anyone passing the intersection of Leopold Takawira Avenue and Fife Street. If you take a glimpse just opposite Bulawayo Central Police Station, you can easily recognise that he is a big Highlanders fan.

SUKOLUHLE Mthethwa Sports Reporter

Bosso paraphernalia hangs around at his corner as he goes about his business and whenever Highlanders are playing home at Emagumeni or away, he incessantly blows the vuvuzela in support of his team from childhood.

He also makes newspaper cuttings of Bosso players and those who have donned the black and white strip before and frames them. Southern Eye Sport spoke to the staunch Highlanders supporter Duduzo Sibanda, also known as TK.

“I am a Highlanders supporter who follows the team with so much passion. I started attending Highlanders matches when I was in Grade Seven at David Livingstone Primary School. My uncle Charles “Rambo” Nsingo used to take me to Barboufields Stadium to watch Highlanders and I have never looked back,” he said.

The cuttings that he makes display the likes of the legendary Bosso brothers, Peter and the late Adam, Ralph Matema and current right-back Erick Mudzingwa.

“I do not sell any of these frames. I call it the Bosso museum because it has former players and those who are playing for the team now.

I am doing this so that Bosso fans who pass through here would have memories of our former players and those who are still playing. Bosso fans should not forget a player like Adam as he was one of the best players. We should also not forget people like the late chairman James Mangwana Tshuma,” he said.

Sibanda also spoke about his most memorable matches featuring Bosso.

“There was a time when Barbourfields Stadium used to be fully packed when Highlanders were playing. One needed to be at the stadium as early as 1.30pm.

“During that time, life was not so difficult like now because things were affordable then. Some people love football, but because of the costs they cannot attend matches, they would rather buy food for their families,” he said.

“I am so passionate about Highlanders that I rather sacrifice and make sure that I go to watch Bosso. I travel to watch away matches as well,” he said.

Sibanda mentioned some of the players that he thought were exceptional.

“The squad that had players like Zenzo Moyo and Thabani Masawi was a joy to watch. Benjamin Konjera was also another player who was very good. During that time the players used to entertain supporters. The difference is that today it is now taken as a business, so the type of football being played currently is entertaining, but it is different. I also liked the team that had Vusa Nyoni, Honour Gombami and Obadiah Tarumbwa,” he said.

“Ernest Maphepha Sibanda was an inspirational administrator. He would sometimes sit at the Soweto stand so that he could mix with the supporters. There was so much unity,” he said.

With Highlanders having last won the championship in 2006 under Methembe Ndlovu, Sibanda said he was hopeful that this year they would clinch it.