Former Highlanders goalkeeper and captain Tapuwa Kapini has expressed concerns over his former club’s poor start to the 2019 Castle Larger Premier Soccer League (PSL) season, urging the entire Bosso family to unite and lift the boys’ moral.
Kapini, one of Highlanders fans’ all time favourite player spoke from his base is South Africa where he is now plying his trade with ABSA Premiership outfit Highlands Park.
He said his silence does not mean that he is not concerned about Highlanders, a club that helped him rise to stardom before moving to South African side Platinum Stars in 2006 where he would spend five years before moving to Amazulu in 2011.
In 2015 he left Amazulu and found a new home in Highlands Park, a club he helped finish in seventh position in the just ended 2018/2019 ABSA premiership season.
Kapini who enjoyed a successful career at Highlanders and remains a faithful fan of Tshilamoya believes Bosso as a big institution has a culture, which the current crop of players should not be ashamed to ask if they don’t understand.
He added that they are very lucky to have at their disposal people like his former teammate Bekithemba Ndlovu, who is now part of the club’s technical bench, Madinda Ndlovu who is the technical manager, and seasoned players like Ariel Sibanda who understands the Bosso culture.
“This is a big institution. It’s not a small club. We might be quite, but that does not mean that we don’t care. We are not happy with the way how the team has started. In such situations, players should know that it’s no longer up to the coaches only, it’s up to the players as well to lift themselves up (and fight). They know what they need to do. The current situation is not pleasing. They must ask players like Ariel (Sibanda), even people like Bekithemba Ndlovu, and the (Boss) Madinda Ndlovu. They must not be ashamed to ask. Ask them! ‘Coach. during your playing days your teams used to be successful, what did you do right?,” said Kapini.
He backed the current boss, Ndlovu, whom he said understands Bosso very well and has the club at heart as evidenced by how many times he has left and came back to the club.
“It’s not only about players, but everyone involved at Highlanders must play their part. It is not a good idea to crucify Madinda. We need to support him because he loves Highlanders, that’s he keeps coming back,” added Kapini.
Kapini joined Highlanders from Black Aces in 2001 and had a successful five-year stint with the club, winning three championships before shifting base to South Africa.
Highlanders have endured a slow start to the 2019 season that have seen the team pick four points in the opening seven league matches, losing three and drawing four of those.