Bosso date Harare City

Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS’ head of technical department Cosmos “Tsano” Zulu says they are going into today’s Castle Lager Premiership encounter against Harare City at Rufaro as underdogs. This would be the first assignment for the new Bosso technical department which is headed by Zulu as the director with Amini “Soma” Phiri being the head coach.

Interestingly, last year when Kelvin Kaindu left Highlanders and Zulu was again roped in on a caretaker basis to work with Mark Mathe, his first assignment was against the Sunshine Boys at Rufaro.

Harare City beat Highlanders 3-0 in the Chibuku Super Cup at Rufaro. But yesterday, Zulu said they were looking at the remaining nine matches with a positive mind.

“The good thing is we are coming into this match with an underdog tag. Highlanders haven’t beaten Harare City at home since they were promoted in the league.

“But we have worked hard and want to change that. It is a little bit funny though because when Kaindu left my first match was against Harare City at Rufaro and we were beaten convincingly,” he said.

“We respect them, they have a good coach but this time around they have to sweat for the points as we are desperate for points too.

“The response from the boys is very good. It is not like they were loyal to the previous coach (Bongani Mafu) who was there before we came, they respect us and have never showed signs that they don’t want to work with us.

“We are looking at the remaining nine games with a positive mind. We have to be positive otherwise there was no reason to accept this job.

“It is an open secret that we have to win games or our team would be relegated.”

The Bulawayo giants would be without their top goalscorer Knox Mtizwa, who is in Congo Brazzaville with the Young Warriors.

Defender Teenage Hadebe and Nqobizitha Masuku are also currently with the national Under-23 team at the African Games.

Defender Douglas Sibanda and Rahman Kutsanzira are also not part of the team in the afternoon’s tie as they are nursing some injuries.

However, Zulu said they will work with the material at their disposal.

“We will miss the players, especially Knox, who has been getting goals for us. All the same we have to perform, we are desperate for points and it is not easy playing a team which is above you on the log table.

“We just want to get the points as the technical team. The desire to win is bigger than the fear to lose and that is how we are going to approach the match,” he said.

Highlanders meet a Harare City side which has been buoyed by the return of some of their senior players who had been sidelined with injuries for some time now.

And coach Taurai Mangwiro, at a weekly press briefing, said they were hoping that the break will see them return a rejuvenated lot.

“I can say the break was a blessing in disguise as we are going to welcome back most of our players who were injured.

“We will welcome back our skipper David Kutyauripo, Crispen Dickson and James Jam, who have been working hard since Tuesday.

“We went to the break suffering from bad form and I think that is a thing of the past,” he said.