Sports / Local
Bosso eyeing Chicken Inn defender
18 Dec 2013 at 06:47hrs | Views
Bulawayo giants Highlanders are reportedly chasing the signature of promising Chicken Inn defender Lawrence "Dazzy" Mhlanga, who interestingly, happens to be a product of the Bosso junior structures.
Mhlanga had an impressive loan stint at relegated Monomotapa in the just ended season and his exploits have attracted a number of top flight teams including Bosso, who surprisingly failed to tie him down to a contract when he graduated from their junior ranks in 2011.
The young defender was snatched up by the late Chicken Inn coach Adam Ndlovu and was part of the Gamecocks squad in 2012 although he did not get much game time.
He was loaned out to Southern Region first division campaigners Bantu Rovers in the first half of the 2013 season before moving to Harare to join former Premier Soccer League champions Monomotapa during the mid-season transfer window.
Sources close to the player revealed that Bosso are keen to lure back to the club the young defender and have sent a number of emissaries to court him.
Chicken Inn chairman Lifa Ncube, however, shot down the idea that Mhlanga could move back to Highlanders.
"The player has a contract with Chicken Inn and he is going nowhere because he is in our plans for next season," Ncube said.
"In fact, Lawrence signed a contract extension just last week and if Highlanders have approached him that is not proper because it is what is known as player tapping and we may not afford them an audience when they make a formal approach."
Mhlanga was part of the trailblazing Highlanders Under-18 side that won the Bulawayo Province Junior League championship in 2011 under the leadership of Dumaza Dube.
He was part of the national Under-20 squad that took part in an ill-fated African Youth Championships campaign last year which ended prematurely after the Young Warriors failed to fulfil an away game against their Angolan counterparts.
Mhlanga's capture could add some much needed young blood to the Bosso central defence as age has caught up with their skipper Innocent Mapuranga.
Mhlanga had an impressive loan stint at relegated Monomotapa in the just ended season and his exploits have attracted a number of top flight teams including Bosso, who surprisingly failed to tie him down to a contract when he graduated from their junior ranks in 2011.
The young defender was snatched up by the late Chicken Inn coach Adam Ndlovu and was part of the Gamecocks squad in 2012 although he did not get much game time.
He was loaned out to Southern Region first division campaigners Bantu Rovers in the first half of the 2013 season before moving to Harare to join former Premier Soccer League champions Monomotapa during the mid-season transfer window.
Sources close to the player revealed that Bosso are keen to lure back to the club the young defender and have sent a number of emissaries to court him.
"The player has a contract with Chicken Inn and he is going nowhere because he is in our plans for next season," Ncube said.
"In fact, Lawrence signed a contract extension just last week and if Highlanders have approached him that is not proper because it is what is known as player tapping and we may not afford them an audience when they make a formal approach."
Mhlanga was part of the trailblazing Highlanders Under-18 side that won the Bulawayo Province Junior League championship in 2011 under the leadership of Dumaza Dube.
He was part of the national Under-20 squad that took part in an ill-fated African Youth Championships campaign last year which ended prematurely after the Young Warriors failed to fulfil an away game against their Angolan counterparts.
Mhlanga's capture could add some much needed young blood to the Bosso central defence as age has caught up with their skipper Innocent Mapuranga.
Source - dailynews
