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HIGHLANDERS walk into Barbourfields this afternoon carrying more than just the weight of four draws. The visit of FC Platinum comes at a time when Bosso are still searching for a first win, and the mood around the club suggests this is not just about what happens on the pitch.

Four games, four stalemates. That is the backdrop.

For a club of Highlanders’ size, patience does not stretch far. The crowd will be there, as always, filling Barbourfields with expectation. They want a Good Friday result. They need one. But the signs have been uneasy. When changes are made, the impact has been thin. The bench has not shifted games. That has been the story for a while now.

Benjani Mwaruwari walked into this early in the year and found a squad largely assembled before him, players he admits do not fully fit what he wants to build. He has tried to steady things, praising the players and the supporters during the week.

“The fans are fantastic, they are the best and I am also happy with the way the boys are soaking it up at training. They want to play for the badge and want to better themselves all the time. They are a good group and are responding well to our expectations,” said Mwaruwari.

But beneath that, frustration has been building.

At his pre-match press conference yesterday, the former Warriors striker did not hold back. His words pointed to deeper problems inside the club, issues that go beyond results and into how the team is being supported.

He is still waiting for his first league win. He is also waiting for answers.

At the centre of it is the case of Zambian striker Isaac Ngoma, who has been in the country for over a month without a work permit. Mwaruwari says he has pushed for clarity, but nothing has moved.

“I haven’t heard anything from the club. Normally, by now I should have the answer, but now I have to say it in public because people are asking me because they (management) are not doing enough. I think they want this to happen. This boy has been here waiting for the permit for the past month,” he said.

“I have to be open with some of the things that are happening. I have been working in difficult conditions. Now I have to come out and say it. And it’s tough for me because if you’re working against all odds, it’s difficult.

“You know, sometimes you need to have full support, but I’m starting to see some of the things that are negative. As a team, we need to be together, we need to push in one direction, and we need to work so hard to get where we are. And the boys they are pushing, I’m pushing, somewhere, somehow, someway, it’s a bit of a problem.

“That’s why I’m saying that someone, somehow, maybe they don’t want the player to be here, or I don’t know what the issue is.

“To be quite honest, I’ll be honest with everyone, you know, I’m pushing so much to be where we are and if someone is pulling their own direction, then it’s a big problem. It’s impossible that someone can wait for a work permit for a month.”

His concerns do not end there.

Mwaruwari says he has also been forced to operate without an analyst, despite raising the issue two months ago.

“It’s difficult because we spend most of the time on the pitch and I still have to finalise the team. I’m working without an analyst, so I have to do extra work to study the opponents and our own games. That’s not my department, but I’ve been here almost two months and nothing has been done about it. So it’s a big issue for me. I’m working with fewer staff from day one. Those questions you have to ask those responsible because I can’t keep quiet anymore,” he said.

It leaves Bosso heading into this match fighting on two fronts. On the pitch, they must find a way past FC Platinum and end a run that is already testing nerves. Off it, their coach is battling for support, for structure, for the basics he believes are needed to compete.

He admits the start has not been easy.

“I know when I came here, almost everyone didn’t want me, but I will try my best to do what I can. I will fight to make sure this team goes in the right direction.”

That fight now meets a familiar opponent and an unforgiving home crowd.
For Highlanders, this is no longer just another fixture. It feels like a line they have to cross.