Highlanders Football Club

Highlanders Football Club is a Zimbabwean football club based in Bulawayo. The Club was formed in 1926 by the grandson’s of King Lobengula, namely Albert and Rhodes whose father was Njube one of the kings sons. Albert and Rhodes had taken to playing football as an extra mural activities during their stay and study in South Africa. Rhodes formed a team called Lions Football Club in Makokoba township in 1926 and this was the birth of Highlanders football club.

In 1936 the name of the club was changed by the players to Matabeleland Highlanders Football Club from Lions Football Club.

In 1966 the Rhodesia National Football League asked Highlanders Football Club to join them and after two years the club was drafted into the Second Division. They finished top of the division in their first year and were promoted to the First Division.

By 1970 the team had an opportunity to play in the Super League but was relegated to the First Division after collecting just 7 points during the season. The club would however rejoin the Super League in the next season a year later in 1971.

In 1973 the club won the Chibuku Trophy by beating Mhangura Football Club.

In 1976 Higlanders FC pulled out of the Rhodesia National Football League due to a dissatisfaction with the football bodies administration which was led by John Madzima and formed the South Zone Soccer League. Some disgruntled senior members of the team broke away from Highlanders to form their own team which they called, Olympics. The teams that formed the SZSL were the Black Chiefs, Callies, Portuguese, Old Miltonians and Highlanders (all from Bulawayo), Black Horrors (Plumtree), Ramblers (Gwanda) and the Go Beer Rovers (Gweru).

1979 saw the formation of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), this happened after most Harare based teams realised the wisdom behind Highlanders decision to pull out of the RNFL and lent their support against the injustices of the national football governing body. Some of the injustices included unfair distribution of gate takings, improper accounting methods and bias by the body towards some certain teams.

In 1980 the RNFL and the NPSL were merged to form the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA).

In 1986 a group of senior Higlanders players left the club over payment disputes with the executive and some apprentices were directly promoted to the senior team. These included Rahman Gumbo, Mercedes Sibanda, Willard Khumalo, Madinda Ndlovu, Dumisani Ngulebe and many others.

Peter Ndhlovu, Bruce Grobelaar and Benjani Mwaruwaru are some of the players to have come out of Highlanders who have played at the highest professional level in Europe.

Honours:

Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League: 9 times

1958, 1975 (Rhodesia National Soccer League), 1990, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006

Zimbabwean Cup: 2 times

1990, 2001

Zimbabwean Independence Trophy: 6 times

1986, 1988, 1991, 2001, 2002, 2011

Zimbabwean Charity Shield: 2

2001, 2005

Performance In CAF Competitions

CAF Champions League: 5 Appearances

2000- Second Round

2001- First Round

2002- First Round

2003- Second Round

2007- First Round

Africa Cup of Champions Club: 2 Appearances

1991-Second Round

1994-Disqualified

CAF Confederations Cup: 2 Appearances

2008-Round of 16

2011-Withdrew from Preliminary Round

CAF Cup Winners’ Cup: 3 Appearances

1986-First Round

1987-First Round

1992-First Round