BY ONSPORT REPORTER
HIGHLANDERS’ former assistant coach Antonio João Torres, who came into the country under Jose Mourinho’s friend Baltemar Brito to take charge of the Bulawayo giants three years ago, misses the club and Zimbabwe at large.
Torres, who also served in the senior men’s national team as fitness and conditioning coach with Brito as head coach, left the country at the end of 2023.
Despite taking Highlanders to Fifa over unpaid dues, Torres posted a picture of the home of Highlanders, Barbourfields Stadium on one of his social media pages and said: “Three years ago I had the first contact (with Bosso) with the best experience of my life. Thanks Zimbabwe, I really miss you! Such a nice and good country,” Torres said.
Highlanders faced a Fifa transfer ban after they failed to clear a balance of US26, 500 owed to Brito and Torres which was eventually cleared by businessman Wicknell Chivayo before the club was sanctioned by the international football governing body.
Zambian gaffer Kelvin Kaindu replaced Brito, whose contract and that of Torres, were not extended by Bosso at the end of 2023, amid mixed feelings from the multitudes of the club supporters.
In 2023, Brito went on a fairy-tale run with Highlanders going 19 matches unbeaten before he lost to FC Platinum, Chicken Inn, Dynamos, Hwange, Simba Bhora and and then went on to win one match and played five draws and many a Bosso fan, felt he was the man to eventually win the league title which has evaded the club for 19 years.
However, the Johnfat Sibanda-led Bosso executive decided not to renew his contract at the end of that season and brought in Kaindu.
A few months later, Sibanda was to be ousted as chairman by businessman Kenneth Mhlophe.
