• Zifa extends transfer window to February 29 • Majabvi on trials at SA club • Highlanders unveil 5 new players • Majabvi, Murape and Sadomba get new deals • Highlanders call press conference to unveil Khumalo • Orlando Pirates chase Highlanders goalie • Free State Stars sign CAPS FC's Nkatha • MTL Wanderers say Gumbo's job safe • Khumalo set for new Highlanders role • Murape Murape wins Soccer Star of the Year award • Rhinos, Hwange and Mwana Africa relegated • Relegation battle goes to the wire • Dynamos clinch league and cup double • 2007 Premier Soccer League Fixtures

By Nkanyiso Moyo

Highlanders..........0
Black Leopards.....0

AFTER a barren season of rare under-achievement, the Highlanders reconstruction project got underway on Sunday as the club paraded its new signings in a 0-0 draw with visiting South African Premier League club, Black Leopards.

The dethroned league champions who played second fiddle to Dynamos all of last season had seven new players in this warm up game before the serious business begins on February 17 when they kick off their African Confederations Cup campaign against Mozambican club, Ferroviario de Nampula.

Defender Herbert Dick, midfielders Protasha Kabwe and Stephen Alumenda and strikers Jacob Muzokomba, Thamsanqa Ndimande and Irvine Tinarwo made their debuts together with Under 20 internationals Lawson Nkomo and Guide Goddard and striker.

Striker Douglas Zimbago, returning from a loan spell at Masvingo, also featured in a thrilling draw in which the cheering Luveve Stadium crowd would have seen enough to raise their hopes for a better season.

Of the signings, it was Alumenda who put an outstanding performance after being deployed as an attacking midfielder by coach, Methembe Ndlovu.

With the new arrivals, Highlanders have released Thabani Moyo, Sautso Phiri, Farai Mujokoro and the pair of Richard Choruma and Mkhuphali Masuku who are all free agents after their contracts expired.

Highlanders were without their top striker Obadiah Tarumbwa who is undergoing trials in Belgium.

Ndlovu was positive after the match.

“This was the first game for these players together and despite the failure to get goals, I think it was not a bad performance at all,” he said.

“We need strikers and if Oba makes the grade in Belgium, that even worsens things for us. We have to do with what we have, but there could be new signings soon.

“We need a few more games and the two games against Dynamos in the Charity Shield will help to measure where we are as a team.”

AS THEY LINE UP: Highlanders' starting 11 against Black Leopards

The former champions are still hoping to capture long term target Gilbert Zulu from relegated Hwange and there is word that the deal could be sealed anytime this week after the colliery executive finally relented. The coal miners have already released Carrington Gomba to Dynamos.

Highlanders started with captain Gilbert Banda and Herbert Dick in central defence, a lucklustre Zephaniah Ngodzo on the left and Nkomo on the right.

Goddard, hard running Wellington Sibanda and Eric Mudzingwa were part of midfield where Alumenda called the shots, never putting a foot wrong the entire match. Kabwe was paired with Muzokomba upfront, but the combination did not work at all.

The early exchanges produced no clear-cut chances, until the 10th minute when Leopards goalkeeper Mashudu Mamphitha blasted the ball against Muzokomba, but the ball bounced out of play.

Seconds later, Jabulani Maluleke intercepted a pass from Alumenda but his first time shot was well covered by Washington Arubi.

Leopards could have surged ahead in the 15th minute when Miron Shongwe came at the end of a well-drilled move, but sliced his effort off target.

Three minutes later, the visitors were presented with another chance when Walter Ramalonde outpaced Banda but saw his shot miss the target, while Eric Ramavhale had his header palmed away from Arubi from a Shongwe corner kick in the 20th minute.

Highlanders had their first chance three minutes after the half hour. Mudzingwa fed Sibanda, who found Ngodzo on the left, but the final shot at goal was poor.

The last chance before the breather arrived in the 42nd minute when Leopards sliced open the Highlanders defence, but in the final touch, which ended with the ball in the back of the net, Shongwe was adjudged to have been offside.

In the second half, the chances were few and far between, Highlanders coming close in the 66th minute when Ngodzo headed wide and Thabo Mhlalele’s shot whisked past the face of the goal for Leopards with Kaizer Montsi failing to connect.
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