All square at BF

A CONFUSED referee, a genuine penalty appeal that was turned down and a late red card were the major talking points of this Castle Lager Premiership showdown between old foes Highlanders and Dynamos at Barbourfields yesterday.
Referee Nkosana Nduna decided to hog the limelight with his decisions that had a touch of confusion as both teams were clearly hard done by his strange calls.
Bosso will probably feel more of the pain after Nduna turned down their appeal for a penalty five minutes from the breather when livewire Rahman Kutsanzira, who terrorised David Kutyauripo, was fouled from behind by George Magariro inside the area.
With the Bosso players and fans expecting a penalty, and possibly a yellow card for Magariro, they were shocked as Nduna, who was correctly positioned, waved play on.
This followed a number of poor decisions, especially from tackles by both teams, that went unpunished with Bosso’s Gift Lunga Jnr and Lawson Nkomo the culprits for the hosts while Kutyauripo kept going overboard for the visitors.
“The game was okay with the only thing bizarre being the officiating where some punishable tackles were waved play-on or just a free-kick being given,” said Dynamos assistant coach Masimba Dinyero soon after the match.
He said he could not comment on the late red card shown to Murape Murape who was sent off for foul language directed towards the referee. Nduna refused to comment.
However away from the referee’s blunders, Highlanders had good control of the first half and they tested Washington Arubi as early as the fourth minute when Micheck Mburayi’s tricky header was saved by the Warriors’ number one goalkeeper. Against the run of play, it was the hard running Patrick Khumbula who could have stolen the lead for DeMbare in the ninth minute when his header, off a Martin Vengesayi cross, was cleared off the line by Nkomo.
The Dynamos forwards proved a handful to the Bosso defenders with experience saving the day for Innocent Mapuranga and Gilbert Banda.
In the 12th minute a lively Kutsanzira, who was clearly the best player on view yesterday, roasted Kutyauripo on the left side, leaving him for dead, before bringing in a cross that Vincent Nzombe should have converted.
But Arubi was quick off his line and made the save, justifying why he is perhaps the country’s first choice goalkeeper.
Dynamos, who were using the right side where Kutyauripo was playing, to attack, were probably undone by the menacing Kutsanzira whose exploits prevented the DeMbare rightback from making overlapping runs.
That job was then left to the Under-23 International, Denver Mukamba who could not make much of an impression.
He was eventually replaced shortly after the break by Murape.
Kutsanzira was again involved in the 31st minute when he shot over the bar from just outside the box as he tried to do justice to Njabulo Ncube’s pass.
Ncube needs an alert striking partner, or a midfielder in the mould of Charles ‘Chief’ Chilufya, because he is certainly good at shielding the ball and creating space for others.
Dynamos then got a free-kick on the edge of the box and up stepped Augustine Mbara whose shot could not trouble Lovemore Makwavarara. By now tempers among the players were clearly flaring and at one time the Dynamos technical bench remonstrated with the fourth official Phatutshedzo Munyani, threatening to walk out.
Then came the decision that Highlanders’ coach Mkhuphali “Mr Cooper” Masuku felt could have changed the outcome of the game.
A through pass released Kutsanzira, who dribbled past a forest of legs and got inside the box before being brought down by Magariro.
But referee Nduna did not see any injustice.
“I feel that penalty should have changed everything and I still do not know why the referee waved play-on,” said Masuku.
The second half began on a very slow note although Dynamos were now enjoying more possession with a tired Arnold Tshuma, who had given Desmond Maringwa a tough time in the first half, conceding space to the visitors.
Maringwa was later substituted for Tawanda Muparati in the 60th minute as Lloyd Mutasa sensed that he could punish Bosso.
But Masuku responded by replacing Vincent Nzombe and introducing the bubbly Graham Ncube.
Play continued to be a see-saw affair but Dynamos could have stolen a winner in a spectacular smash-and-grab exercise towards the end.
Zimbabwe international midfielder Archford Gutu found himself unmarked inside the box only to shoot wide. The Glamour Boys have fashioned a number of late victories at this ground in the past and, right at the end, they went on a counter attack only for the referee to blow for an infringement.
Murape went ballistic and was shown a straight red card.
There was to be no more drama in this Battle of Zimbabwe contest.
Teams
Highlanders: L Makwavarara, I Mapuranga, G Banda, G Lunga, L Nkomo, A Tshuma, V Nzombe (G Ncube 64 min) N Ncube, R Kutsanzira, M Mburayi, E Mudzingwa
Dynamos: W Arubi, D Kutyauripo, D Maringwa (T Muparati 60 min) D Mukamba (M Murape 46min), A Gutu, A, Mbara, G Bello, G Magariro, T Mamvura, M Vengesayi, P Khumbula (R Mutuma 69 min).