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Robson Sharuko-Senior Sports Editor

FIFTEEN years ago, they both powered to landmark success stories — one of them won the league championship while the other took home the Intertoto Cup, to grab a ticket into the UEFA Cup. 

Since then, they have been wandering in the wilderness, their pursuit for glory always coming short amid growing voices of discontent, within the vociferous constituency they both serve. 

Highlanders and Newcastle United— they are football’s closest thing to Siamese twins. 

The iconic black-and-white colours provide a definition of their identity, a passionate support base provides them with the heart which keeps them going and they have an eternal bond with royalty. 

They both have a lengthy association with coalfields, in the case of one of them, the mineral provided the foundation for their city. 

And, in the case of the other, it provided proximity to a mining town which has given them a steady supply of talented footballers, who have come into their ranks, over the years. 

Remarkably, even the main daily newspaper, in their cities, has a similar name — Chronicle. 

Today, the footballer who was born in the coalfields of Hwange, Marvelous Nakamba, and underwent an apprenticeship at Highlanders, in the club’s junior teams, is now being courted by Newcastle United. 

Andrew “Scrupta’’ Jele cleared the path when he arrived at Bosso, from Hwange, in the ‘60s, before Cephas Sibanda, Chutika Tembo, Charles “Chief’’ Chilufya and Chanjerai Dube, followed suit, in the later years. 

Newcastle United, the English club based in the city of coal, have been transformed into very attractive suitors, since a Saudi-backed coalition paid US$408 million, took control of the team, from billionaire businessman, Mike Ashley. 

“Yesssssssss, we can dare to hope again,” former striker, Alan Shearer, the club’s all-time leading goal-scorer, led the welcome party for the new investors. 

Shearer broke Jackie Milburn’s record of 200 goals, which had stood for 49 years, in 2006. 

Club captain, Jamaal Lascelles, said it was the “end of one era and the start of another,’’ and “it’s always an honour to captain this special club and I hope that we can all now be United. 

“Exciting times ahead, let us get back to where this club should be.” 

Former England forward, Michael Owen, said this was “such good news for everyone associated with (Newcastle), new ownership is exactly what the club needed. 

“Renewed optimism, it could be a game changer for the club.” 

The Newcastle United Football Club Supporters Trust have called it “a fresh start, a new era.’’ 

Inevitably, others have raised concern about the kiss of life provided by the Saudi-backed consortium, with criticism being directed towards the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, about alleged human rights abuses. 

However, the people in the Newcastle United corner, including the club’s fans, have brushed aside such critics. 

“The Saudis have investment in Twitter, Facebook, Starbucks, Uber; are you going to stop using social media, are you going to stop having coffee? 

“We’re not going to stop going to our football club,” Lee Lawler, editor and presenter of Newcastle Fans TV, told MEE. 

The collective wealth of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which now holds an 80 percent stake in Newcastle United, is about US$437.8 billion. 

Excitement continues to buzz around Newcastle United, as the club’s fans see a future in which their team will be able to compete against the big boys of football in England, on a level playing field. 

The same is also true at Highlanders, who are set to embark on their latest quest to try and win the league championship, for the first time in 15 years, this weekend. 

Highlanders will be in the capital, the home of their biggest rivals Dynamos, when they open their campaign with a tricky date against Black Rhinos, in their Castle Lager Premiership opener, on Saturday. There is a spring in Bosso’s step. 

And, there is also a wave of optimism, among their fans, amid a rainbow of light, which crashed through the dark cloud of gloom, which was hanging over their camp, a few months ago. 

With their coffers empty, and their future uncertain, amid rebellion among their players, including some who wanted to walk away from this proud institution, everything looked gloomy. 

The chances of them challenging for honours, in the toughest marathon in domestic football, were as remote as hoping to find milk, when one drives a knife into the ball, which is played in this beautiful game. 

Even the most loyal of their fans had already started writing off the season before it had started, prolonging their lengthy wait for a league championship, to 16 years. 

But, then, things changed. 

And, just their Siamese twins in Newcastle upon Tyne, in the North East of England, the arrival of some Good Samaritans, have completely changed the mood, at Bosso. 

Their kiss of life came in the form of a game-changing massive investment, to oil the club’s structures, from Sakunda Holdings. 

The company has injected millions into the club, to try and help revive Bosso, to enable the club to challenge for honours again. 

To help them try and touch the heavens again and return to the good times when Highlanders were the dominant club, on the domestic football scene, at the turn of the millennium. 

They won four league titles, on the trot, during that golden period and, if they can somehow repeat that feat, it means they will be champions, when they celebrate their Centenary, in 2026. 

Highlanders were established in 1926, by the grandsons of King Mzilikazi, and they have evolved to become a sporting arm of millions of people, who believe in them. 

Ironically, in 1926, when they were being established, Newcastle United, their Siamese twin, embarked on a championship campaign, which would see them win their fourth, and last, English league title. 

Bosso crashed out at the quarter-final stage, in the Chibuku Super Cup, at the weekend. 

But, it’s a piece of silverware, which has been in their trophy cabinet, in the last two years. 

Some of their fans are likely to watch their club in action, this weekend, for the first time, since February last year, when Bosso took on FC Platinum, in a Castle Lager Challenge Cup match, at Barbourfields. 

All of them, if asked, will tell you it’s the championship they desperately want. And, just like their Newcastle United counterparts, there is a feeling, among them, the future of their club is secure. 

That alone is worth more than gold to them.