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Fungai Muderere Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS dedicated their 2-1 win over Herentals College in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash at Barbourfields yesterday to their departed former coach and club legend Rahman Gumbo.
The late Gumbo, a championship winning coach and player with Bosso, died last Friday night in Botswana.
In a true spirit of honouring their late esteemed ex coach and player, Bosso came from a goal behind to finally snatch a victory after long time of being eluded by a positive result.
Ideally, the Bulawayo football giants chose Barbourfields Stadium, a venue that the late Gumbo dribbled into the hearts of many both as a mentor and as a player, to send a befitting send off to Gumbo.
It was a game in which Bosso players displayed better form than in previous encounters in the absence of interim national coach Brito Baltemar.
With two games to go before the end of the season, Bosso needed the win to appease hordes of their fans that decided to remain at home and not to witness the boys in black and white do duty, under the guidance of club legend Madinda Ndlovu.
Fondly known as Khathazile, Ndlovu, a man who worked and played with the late Gumbo, took charge of the Bosso dugout owing to the absence of club’s head coach Brito who is with the Warriors in Rwanda.
Tafadzwa Jimu got Herentals College into the driving seat in the 37 minute with an easy tap in.
Bosso levelled the matters a minute later courtesy of a well taken Gillian Nyathi strike from outside the box that beat a diving Herentals College goalminder Nevermind Antonio all systems out.
Right at the stroke of half time, young Calvin Chigonero, made it two for the Bulawayo football giants with a breathtaking deeping effort that Antonio punched into his own net.
However, with the Students thinking that the ball did not cross the line, in protest they mobbed the first assistant referee.
Moments later, the visitors walked out of the pitch only to return moments later.
However, it seemed the match was all done for Bosso players and coaches who all wore black armbands in honour of the late Gumbo.
“We would like to thank the boys for a good show. We had actually little time to train after our mid-week fixture against Triangle United. We are happy for the win which we dedicate to our legend Rahman Gumbo. Before the match coach Madinda told the boys that we were playing this one to honour Rahman Gumbo and we were not supposed to lose this match especially at Barbourfields Stadium.
“Maybe these boys will have a little to know about Rahman Gumbo but this is a man who gave me a chance at Highlanders and even in the senior national team where he convinced then Warriors head coach Sunday Chidzwambwa to have a look at me,” said a visibly touched Highlanders assistant Joel Luphahla.
Herentals College Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva reckoned it was all going to be difficult for them to beat Bosso.
Online Reporter