Harare — There was huge relief in the Highlanders camp yesterday when the Bulawayo giants finally secured the US$40 000 they needed to enable them to fulfil their Caf Confederation Cup fixture in Mozambique on Sunday.

Highlanders will now fly out to Maputo via Johannesburg today for their preliminary round clash against Ferroviario de Nampula. The trip had seemingly hung in the balance on Tuesday with Bosso chairman Ernest Sibanda sending out an SOS to the nation.

However, Highlanders got massive financial boost yesterday from their long time benefactor and club member Tshinga Dube and his colleagues. Dube, who is in Russia on business, chipped in with US$6 000, bringing a huge sigh of relief to Sibanda.

The rest of the US$40 000 that Bosso needed to fulfil the trip money also came from some unnamed friends of Dube and some Highlanders members. With the issue of their funding resolved, Bosso immediately made arrangements to travel to Mozambique via South Africa this afternoon and Sibanda paid tribute to Dube for his efforts. "We are very grateful to one of our local leaders who has come in and supported us, he has done a marvellous job and we will be leaving tomorrow (today).

"After reading the story of our plight in Russia, Tshinga Dube mobilised funds and some from his friends and gave us US$6 000. "So we are flying out from Harare at 1:30pm tomorrow (today) to Johannesburg, putting up there and flying to Maputo the next morning and connecting to Nampula."

This means Highlanders will have one full day in Nampula to loosen up before the match. However, this is not the first time that Dube has helped Highlanders and only two weeks ago, he helped them secure the services of Premiership Golden Boot award winner Cuthbert Malajila from Chapungu. Dube had also been working on helping Bosso acquire Hwange's Gilbert Zulu before the striker opted to try his luck at Malawi's MTL Wanderers.

Highlanders carry a 3-0 lead from the first leg two weeks ago at Barbourfields where newboy Jacob Muzokomba, Richard Choruma and Eric Mudzingwa found the target. Despite the problems that Bosso had been facing, Sibanda said his players had remained focussed on their assignment with the Highlanders chairman insisting they had impressed on their charges the need to preserve their first leg lead.

"We explained the situation to the boys and they understood and I am proud of them. "That did not distract them from training, they are happy and raring to go and were even prepared to go by road for the return leg.

"The scoreline is not safe at all, complacency should not creep into the team and I have repeated again the story of Sable de Batie to the boys and they know what is expected of them," Sibanda said.

Sibanda also released a 16-man team for the trip, which includes Mkhuphali Masuku, while Leon Masuku and Nqobile Mpala were the only two dropped from the side that did duty in the first leg.

Mkhuphali Masuku has not played a competitive match for Highlanders this year but his experience is crucial for the team on the continent.

In the first leg, Ndlovu started with three new players Stephen Alimenda, playing in the anchorman role, Muzokomba and Malajila, who had joined the team 48 hours before the match.

Highlanders travelling party

Team

Gilbert Banda (captain), Washington Arubi, Peter Makuvise, Zephaniah Ngodzo, Wellington Sibanda, Douglas Zimbago, Wonderful Peperere, Johannes Ngodzo, Mkhuphali Masuku, Stephen Alimenda, Eric Mudzingwa, Richard Choruma, Anzilom Ndlovu, Marshall Machazane, Jacob Muzokomba, Cuthbert Malajila.

Technical team

• Technical Manager: Methembe Ndlovu
• Assistants: Rueben Tsengwa, Peter Nkomo, Gift Lunga
• Welfare Manager: Emmett Ndlovu
• Team Doctor: Mthokozisi Ndiweni
• Executive Chairman: Ernest Sibanda.
• Secretary: Horace Ndubiwa
• Board Member: Jonathan Moyo
• Head of Delegation: Austin Chishanga