adminRicky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS’ hat trick hero against Buffaloes Charles Sibanda believes their 3-1 Premiership victory in Mutare on Sunday is significant to their title campaign adding that the win was just the beginning of better things for the club.
Sibanda, a Rastafari fanatic said it was God’s grace and hard work that saw them win in Mutare and believes that after clearing the Eastern Highlands hurdle, they are ready for any challenge.
Before Sunday’s encounter with Buffaloes in Mutare, the Bulawayo giants had travelled to Mutare five times and all those games ended in stalemate.
When Highlanders won the 2006 championship there was no team from Mutare. There were no Premiership teams from Manicaland Province in 2010 and 2011 season.
In 2007 and 2008, Bosso played to a 0-0 draw and 1-1 stalemate respectively to Eastern Lions and went on to pick a point against Highway in 2009 following a 2-2 draw in matches played at Sakubva Stadium.
Buffaloes returned to topflight action after a very long sabbatical in 2012 and held Bosso to a 1-1 draw in Mutare. The two teams played to an identical scoreline last season.
Following their 3-1 win on Sunday against Buffaloes, Highlanders shot to the top of the table with 19 points, one ahead of second placed Hwange.
“All glory and honour be to God who guided us to a victory in Mutare, obviously we have been working very hard at training and everyone is fighting for each other which makes playing football easy and fun. I know our supporters have been waiting for such a time and we have managed to break the ice in Mutare and as a player and Christian I believe that we have broken all those codes that had tied the team. With God, our supporters and the players’ right attitude, we are going to win more games,” said Sibanda who was part of Motor Action’s 2010 championship winning squad.
Sibanda now has four goals and having been the first to get a hat trick for Highlanders this season, the lanky striker is targeting more glory for Bosso.
Highlanders’ coach Kelvin Kaindu was happy with his players’ performance and said they need to continue working hard.
It seems good so far as Bosso have conceded just five goals in nine matches but have scored 18. Their ability to defend has seen them enjoy a plus four goal difference over Hwange.
Highlanders lost the 2012 and 2013 titles to Dynamos because of an inferior goal difference which Kaindu is working on.
“I cannot really say I am happy that we are conceding less but I appreciate the effort that we are doing to avoid what happened to us in the last seasons when we lost the title on goal difference. I am happy that we managed to pick up maximum points on the road and it was good to see Charles get a hat trick. Everyone fought hard for the maximum points in Mutare and I would like to see us fighting hard in our coming matches,” said Kaindu.
In other weekend matches, Hwange made sure that they keep their title hopes alive by beating Shabanie Mine 3-0 at the Colliery while third placed How Mine salvaged a point at ZPC Kariba with a 2-2 draw. The goldminers are third on the log, two points behind Highlanders.
Defending champions Dynamos moved from midtable to fourth position after grinding a 1-0 win on the road against Chiredzi FC.
Results at a glance
Saturday: ZPC Kariba 2-2 How Mine, Chicken Inn 2-1 Chapungu, FC Platinum 4-0 Triangle
Yesterday: Buffaloes 1-3 Highlanders, Hwange 3-0 Shabanie Mine, Caps United 1-0 Bantu Rovers, Chiredzi 1-0 Dynamos.
derick.khumalo
Online Reporter