By Brighton Ncube

Highlanders FC is a Zimbabwean football club based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, formed in 1926 that plays in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League.It is one of the biggest, most successful soccer teams in Zimbabwe and arguably the most supported team. Everywhere it plays it attracts big crowds. It is also known colloquially as iBosso or Bossolona.

 

Founded in 1926 as Lions Football Club, composed mainly of boys born in Makokoba (Bulawayo’s oldest township) by two of the great Ndebele King Lobengula’s grandsons, Albert and Rhodes, who were sons of Njube. In 1936 – the players changed the name to Matebeleland Highlanders Football Club.

 

Highlanders are known by their nicknames,Bosso,Tshilamoya,Amahlolanyama,Ezikamagebhula,Mantengwane among many others.Bosso is derived from Setswana slang and means “The Boss.”Tshilamoya is IsiNdebele and,loosely interpreted,could mean “big-upsetters” or “demoralisers” a term coined in apparent reference to the Team’s nemesis.Amahlolanya is taken from the Grey-Crested Helmet-shrike,a bird found mostly in Southern parts of Zimbabwe whose black and white colours resemble those of the team’s.EzikaMagebhula,a nickname for Orlando Pirates FC,can also be used in reference to Highlanders FC possible because of the similarity of both clubs’ colours.

Highlanders currently use Babourfields stadium as their home stadium, among some team coming from bulawayo include Chicken inn Fc, Tsholotsho Fc, Howmine and Bulawayo Fc.