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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
ON-FIRE Highlanders Football Club are fretting over the injury of their three key players ahead of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday which has been dubbed “the Battle of the Titans”. To add more woes to the Bulawayo giants, one of the possible replacements Bruce Tshuma will miss the match due to suspension.
Captain and defence rock Innocent Mapuranga, midfield general Mthulisi Maphosa and speed merchant Gabriel Nyoni are nursing injuries though they are training.
According to a communiqué from the PSL’s competitions manager Elisha Mandireva, Tshuma, who can be played in any position in defence as well as the midfield, will miss the action on Sunday as he is on suspension.
He picked the first yellow card in the infamous 1-1 draw with Dynamos on 21 April, was yellow-carded in the 0-0 draw with FC Platinum on 11 May before picking up his third yellow last Sunday when Amahlolanyama breached Fort Rimuka.
Maphosa, who is injured, is an impact player in the team and his presence instills confidence in his teammates while intimidating the opposition. Skipper Mapuranga who is also injured has been solid in defence for Tshilamoya while Nyoni, another player nursing injury, has come up with crucial goals for Highlanders since his second half of the season move from the recently crowned Zifa Southern Region Division One champions Bulawayo Chiefs.
Bosso coach Kelvin Kaindu who is set to fly to the United Kingdom soon after the game for a coaching course, confirmed the unwelcome news but remained hopeful that the players will make it for the crunch encounter on Sunday.
“We are preparing hard but our worries are the injuries to Mthulisi, Innocent and young Gabriel. There are signs of the two veterans getting better but we are still monitoring Nyoni,” said Kaindu whose team is chasing a league and cup double.
Highlanders are in the semi-finals of the lucrative Mbada Diamonds Cup where they are set to clash against another championship chasing side Harare City at Mandava Stadium next Sunday.
Asked about the nature of the injury to his players, the Zambian, a former star player at the club said:
“For now we would not want to reveal the nature of the problem.”
Kaindu said the boys are fully focused on the match and were not reading much into history that seems to hugely favour their opponents. Highlanders are yet to beat Dynamos since 2006 when they went on to lift the league title under Methembe Ndlovu.
“I can assure you that (history) does not worry us at all. We are training in our normal way and just waiting for the match,” said Kaindu.
The match which others have dubbed the “Battle of Zimbabwe”, will on Sunday see all roads leading to Barbourfields Stadium.
A win for Highlanders on Sunday will put them one step closer to winning the league title.
Online Reporter