By Mathias Dube and Minenhle Tshuma
Highlanders FC took advantage of the January transfer window to extend contracts of four first team players. Veteran goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda, Vice-captain Nqobizitha Masuku, Mbongeni Ndlovu and Andrew Mbeba have committed themselves to the club ahead of the resumption of 2021/2022 season.
The players’ existing contracts with the club were set to expire on December 31 2021.
Masuku and Ndlovu are products of Highlanders Youth Development, Bosso 90, and having been promoted from the reserve team into the senior squad impressed sufficiently to be rewarded with new deals.
Sibanda and Masuku have extended their contracts by 3 years, while Ndlovu has penned a 2-year deal with the club.
Sibanda who was voted the country’s Goalkeeper of the year in 2018 and has been the inspiration behind the club success in the past few seasons.
He has been the key player in the success of Highlanders in the past 13 years with the most recent success being winning the 2019 Chibuku super cup.
The young talented defender Andrew Mbeba, has also penned a 1-year contract with the club.
The 21-year-old whose contract expired on 31 December 2021 extended his stay at the club for another year.
Mbeba, a product of Highlanders academy, won the Zimbabwe premier soccer league Rookie of the year Award for 2019. His exceptional skills were seen when he was appointed captain of the Zimbabwe national under 20 team at the 2018 COSAFA U 20 cup.