Canadian players due on Saturday

Sport
2 Canadian players, Phillippe Barriault and Jean-Felix Lemieux coming for attachment with Highlanders football club, are expected in Bulawayo by Saturday.

TWO Canadian players, striker Phillippe Barriault and goalkeeper Jean-Felix Lemieux coming for attachment with Highlanders football club, are expected to be in Bulawayo by Saturday.

JeanFelixLemieux-and-Philippe-Barriualt SPORTS REPORTER

First Mobile Sports Academy (FMSA) director Isaac Mbedzi confirmed the players would be leaving Canada today on a South African flight and expected to be in Johannesburg by 10:30pm today.

Lemieux and Barriault are coming for attachment with the Bulawayo football giants for six to 12 months depending on how long the team would want them to stay.

The players will temporarily leave for Canada on July as Mobile Academy would be taking part in two tournaments, the Gothia Cup in Sweden and the Dana Cup in Denmark.

“The players will be leaving Montreal on Thursday (today), arriving in Johannesburg at 10:30pm and we are still to finalise flights to Bulawayo on Saturday. The players will be with Highlanders for between six-12 months depending on usage by Bosso, but they will meet other FMSA members in Europe this coming July for international tournaments (Gothia and Dana) and European international friendly matches against FC Brugge,” Mbedzi said.

Mbedzi said the academy has committed funds for the welfare of the players during their attachment to Bosso.

He said it was up to Highlanders to make a decision whether they want to use Lemieux and Barriault on free loan and the decision is going to determine the international clearance of the players.

“The insurance of the boys is covered to over $1 million. Accommodation is organised by FMSA in consultation with the players and their parents. International clearance will be facilitated upon request if Bosso needs to use them on free loan or developmental attachment,” he said.

Mbedzi said Highlanders will gain exposure since they will be the first Zimbabwean team to have players from Canada.

“I think this is an opportunity for them (Highlanders) to gain international mileage because they will become the first soccer club in Zimbabwe to assimilate French Canadian players into their system of similar minority culture. And the other interesting thing is that Bosso can claim developmental fees for the period these boys would be attached to them should they be signed by a top professional team through FMSA. The boys, their family and the province of Quebec are excited about the whole issue,” Mbedzi said.

Highlanders chairman Peter Dube said the club was still waiting for Mbedzi to communicate so that they could map the way forward.

“As a club we are still waiting for him (Mbedzi) to bring everything to us. We have not yet heard any developments and as soon as he talks to us we are going to look at the issue as Highlanders Football Club because this is not for Dube, but Highlanders,” Dube said.