Sports / Soccer
Bosso Royals face collapse
20 Oct 2017 at 01:42hrs | Views
THE Highlanders Royals - a women soccer team that competes in the Southern Region Women's League - is on the brink of collapse amid revelations that the team has not trained for two months in addition to failure to fulfil league games.
The 2017 Southern Region Women's League season is going into week nine this weekend.
It's been four months since an interim committee that had been running the team, since its revival last year, was dissolved for "infighting" among the executive members.
A co-ordinator, who would be the link between the Royals and parent club Highlanders Football Club, was appointed to run the team.
But indications are that things have gone haywire at Royals.
The team has not trained since August.
Assistant coach - Evans Nheta - albeit working on a voluntary basis has reportedly jumped ship to fellow ladies team Hearts of Oak.
When the league resumed action in September after breaking for the Cosafa Women's Championships played in Bulawayo, the situation at Royals took a turn for the worst.
The team failed to travel to Cowdray Park suburb for a Week Seven league encounter against Ubuntu FC.
A week later the team again failed to converge on the Highlanders Clubhouse, their home ground, to host Sobukhazi.
Failure to fulfil their next match against Magwegwe Stars on Saturday will signal the end of the road for the Royals.
"If a team fails to play three matches it's automatically booted out of the league in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Southern Region Women's League. Last season the Royals played all their matches and it's unfortunate that they have already failed to fulfil two games this year," said league chairman Takundwa Chimundiya.
It's no secret Highlanders Football Club doesn't bankroll the Royals.
But questions will be asked as to the wisdom of the Modern Ngwenya-led Highlanders FC executive to dissolve a Royals interim committee that successfully ran the team in 2016.
The Royals players are not paid salaries or winning bonuses. The players, a majority who are school girls, are only paid paltry transport allowances to attend training sessions.
The team relies on the benevolence of local businesspeople such as Nokel Security director Kenneth Mhlophe who has on numerous times chipped in with transport and refreshments for the Royals.
Highlanders FC acting chairman Ngwenya could not be reached for comment.
The 2017 Southern Region Women's League season is going into week nine this weekend.
It's been four months since an interim committee that had been running the team, since its revival last year, was dissolved for "infighting" among the executive members.
A co-ordinator, who would be the link between the Royals and parent club Highlanders Football Club, was appointed to run the team.
But indications are that things have gone haywire at Royals.
The team has not trained since August.
Assistant coach - Evans Nheta - albeit working on a voluntary basis has reportedly jumped ship to fellow ladies team Hearts of Oak.
When the league resumed action in September after breaking for the Cosafa Women's Championships played in Bulawayo, the situation at Royals took a turn for the worst.
A week later the team again failed to converge on the Highlanders Clubhouse, their home ground, to host Sobukhazi.
Failure to fulfil their next match against Magwegwe Stars on Saturday will signal the end of the road for the Royals.
"If a team fails to play three matches it's automatically booted out of the league in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Southern Region Women's League. Last season the Royals played all their matches and it's unfortunate that they have already failed to fulfil two games this year," said league chairman Takundwa Chimundiya.
It's no secret Highlanders Football Club doesn't bankroll the Royals.
But questions will be asked as to the wisdom of the Modern Ngwenya-led Highlanders FC executive to dissolve a Royals interim committee that successfully ran the team in 2016.
The Royals players are not paid salaries or winning bonuses. The players, a majority who are school girls, are only paid paltry transport allowances to attend training sessions.
The team relies on the benevolence of local businesspeople such as Nokel Security director Kenneth Mhlophe who has on numerous times chipped in with transport and refreshments for the Royals.
Highlanders FC acting chairman Ngwenya could not be reached for comment.
Source - bmetro
