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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS are likely to face tricky Hwange in a Castle Lager Premiership match set for Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday without seven senior players at a time the team desperately needs maximum points. Bosso, who are third on the log standings and trail leaders Harare City by three points, are fretting over the availability of defenders Lawson Nkomo, Honest Moyo, midfielders Bhekimpilo Ncube and Hillary Madzivanyika who are all nursing injuries while the ever committed central defender and skipper Innocent Mapuranga lost his brother in a car accident.
Goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya and Masimba Mambare are away with the Zimbabwe senior national soccer team that qualified for the Cosafa Castle Cup final in Zambia in which they meet the hosts tomorrow.
While Nkomo and Moyo have not been regulars for Highlanders, their presence at training gives the coach wide choices and confidence when selecting his final team.
“It’s really difficult to work with a depleted squad but we just have to make do with what we have. We know our captain is always a committed player but we can not force him to play when he is still mourning. At the same time if he feels like playing we can not say no to that because we know he always gives his best and instills some sense of belief to the other players,” said Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu who is going through the worst and difficult patch in his Highlanders career, either as a coach or player.
Bosso have gone for five games without a victory in all competitions with their last win being a 1-0 defeat of coalminers Hwange way back on 2 June.
“We picked so many injuries in our last match against Chicken Inn but the other injured guys are at least able to train. It will now boil down to who can play different positions,” said Kaindu his voice clearly that of a worried leader.
Bosso though, welcome back left back Bruce Kangwa who missed last week’s draw with Chicken Inn due to suspension.
In his place was Erick Mudzingwa, who is likely to return to the central back position where he will partner “Mr Stop Nonsense”, Dumisani Fazo Ndlovu in the event Mapuranga’s emotional state forces him out.
Despite failing to win last week, Bosso played entertaining and purposeful football with some nice methodical build-ups although forward man Njabulo Ncube needs to minimise his “umapayana” type of passes but instead take the initiative of going for the kill himself.
Hwange, still not safe from the dreaded chop, will welcome back steady defender David Boriwondo who missed the 1-1 draw against Caps United through injury but will still be without Eric Chipeta who is on national duty in Zambia.
They have always given Highlanders some anxious moments regardless of where the match is played and Sunday is surely set to be the same old story.
Meanwhile, the old adage, “what goes around comes around” will live true to Chicken Inn’s exciting left footed player Kudakwashe Mahachi who will miss tomorrow’s away clash with Black Mambas at Morris Depot due to suspension.
The ginger haired player haunted Highlanders with two top of the table goals in their league matches, in the process picking up a yellow card in each of the matches. The two cards will now cost him a trip to the capital tomorrow with the other card picked up at Luveve Stadium against Motor Action.
Mahachi has been in terrible form for the Mandla Mpofu coached squad and if he continues with his blistering form, he could be one of the players if not the only one from the 2012 Soccer Stars calendar to be selected again this year.
Gold miners How Mine whose players were spotted at a city gym on Tuesday complaining about non payment of their winning bonuses over the 1-0 win over Dynamos welcome the self appointed doctor of football Luke Masomere with his Shabanie Mine boys. How Mine will be without gritty defensive linkman Mernard Mupera who becomes the fourth How Mine player to be suspended in as many weeks while from the visitors’ camp Tafadzwa Mombeshora will sit it out.
Makepekepe, without a loss in the last nine games, will play host to tricky Monomotapa at the giant National Sports Stadium with victory set to change the entire league title race. For many, it was almost a doomed project when club president Twine Phiri released senior but under achieving players at the beginning of the season and brought in unheralded youngsters who have so far shone like a beacon under the able leadership of Taurai Mangwiro.
Champions Dynamos leave the capital for a date with struggling army side Black Rhinos at Rimuka Stadium in Kadaom while log leaders Harare City are entertaining FC Platinum at Rufaro Stadium tomorrow afternoon.
Beitbridge side Tripple B visit the capital for a match against limping Motor Action who have so far released nine players. Tripple B though will be without Aleck Marime and Timire Mamvura who are serving suspensions.
Suspended players:
Steven Alimenda (Dynamos)
Kudakwashe Mahachi (Chicken Inn)
Aleck Marime (Tripple B)
Timire Mamvura (Tripple B)
Tafadzwa Mombeshora (Shabanie Mine), Philip Chandisaita (Bufaloes)
Themba Ndlovu (Buffaloes)
Mernard Mupera (How Mine)
Courage Denias (Triangle)
Fixtures:
Saturday: How Mine v Shabanie Mine (Luveve),
Black Mambas v Chicken Inn (Morris Depot),
Harare City v FC Platinum (Rufaro), Motor Action v
Tripple B (Motor Action Sports Club)
Sunday: Buffaloes v Triangle (Sakubva), Black
Rhinos v Dynamos (Rimuka), Highlanders v
Hwange (BF), CAPS United v Monomotapa (NSS)
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