FC PLATINUM could soon raid fellow Premiership side Highlanders again, with reports suggesting that the league champions were closing in on defender Peter Muduhwa.
BY TERRY MADYAUTA
The well-resourced side attracted the wrath of Bosso fans last season when they lured rising midfielder Denzel Khumalo to the Midlands.
The Heindrikus de Jongh-coached side are looking to build a strong squad which can fight on two fronts.
The champions are looking to defend the title they have won for the past three seasons, but they know that it will not be very easy next season for them after their rivals strengthened their squads during the last transfer window.
FC Platinum are also set to play in the Confederations of African Football (Caf) Champions League in the upcoming term, with the competition set to start later this year.
Reports suggest that the Dutchman, who has coached Highlanders before, has set his sights on the star central defender Muduhwa, with the hope of adding him to the squad ahead of the new season.
“De Jongh had drawn his ambitious wish list and Peter Muduhwa tops it,” an impeccable source said.
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“He was targeting to do the deal in the midseason transfer window, but with the delay in the start of the season, everything has gone off rail.”
There are, however, genuine doubts over the start of the league tentatively set for September because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The season was initially scheduled to start in March, but had to be postponed due to the pandemic.
The Caf Champions League is also a major doubt this year as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to spike across the African continent.
Another source said De Jongh was also keen on swooping on the Highlanders pair of Tinashe Makanda and Brian Banda, who are believed to have already signed pre-contracts with FC Platinum.
“Those are some of the players that he admired very much when he was at Highlanders. He is trying to lure them all to FC Platinum. Some of the players have signed pre-contracts,” the source said.
The reports could further infuriate Highlanders fans, who are still to forgive FC Platinum after they snapped up Khumalo last season.
Muduhwa has been an integral part of the Highlanders team in recent years, captaining the team on numerous occasions.
His splendid performances for the club have earned him national team caps, and have continuously seen him linked with clubs abroad.
Makanda and Banda have also been doing well for the Bulawayo side, and losing any of the trio will be a huge setback to the club’s ambitions as they are going through a rebuilding exercise.
No comment could be obtained from De Jongh, whose future has also been the subject of doubt in recent times.
He was last week forced to defend himself after reports emerged that he was talking to potential suitors in Zambia and Swaziland.
An aborted trip to Swaziland when he was denied entry into South Africa fuelled the rumours.
De Jongh maintained that he was happy at FC Platinum and said the trip was private.
He insisted that he would see through his contract at the club, which he signed last year when he joined from Highlanders.
