Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
Highlanders 1-1 Chicken Inn
TEN-MAN Chicken Inn FC held on for top spot of the Chibuku Super Cup Group B after a 1-1 draw against defending champions Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Two second-half goals lit up a rather drab affair.
A blunder by Highlanders’ left-back Pritchard Mphelele, whose stray pass in midfield was intercepted by Clive Dzingayi, led to Chicken Inn’s opener by Obriel Chirinda in the 64th minute.
Mphelele looked jittery from his introduction at the start of the second-half for Mbongeni Ndlovu and could have easily cost Bosso the match.
But Bosso drew level in the 66th minute through Lynoth Chikuhwa from a rebound after his first attempt was blocked by Chicken Inn goalkeeper Donovan Bernard.
Chicken Inn were then reduced to 10-man after left-back Xolani Ndlovu was shown a second yellow card in the 89th minute for a rough tackle on Highlanders’ winger Ray Lunga.
Hwange-based referee Hardly Ndazi had earlier booked Ndlovu in the 13th minute for another rough tackle.
Both teams have qualified for the quarter-finals and were merely battling for top spot to avoid facing winners of Group C, who could either be Ngezi Platinum Stars or FC Platinum.
The Gamecocks top Group B with 11 points, while Highlanders are second with nine points. Highlanders may dislodge Chicken Inn if they win their next assignment against Bulawayo City and the Gamecocks lose to Bulawayo Chiefs. Highlanders made two changes from the squad that started in Thursday’s 1-1 draw against Chiefs.
Bukhosi Sibanda came in ahead of Winston Mhango while Godfrey Makaruse started ahead of Ray Lunga. Mhango and Lunga were later introduced in the second-half.
“It was a balanced game where few opportunities were created. I didn’t believe our legs were going to carry us through since we played on Thursday, but the guys did well. We made two changes from the team that started on Thursday so that we get fresh legs,” said Highlanders’ coach Mandla Mpofu.
“In the second-half I made some tactical changes, pulling out Nqobizitha Masuku and Mbongeni Ndlovu to protect them because they were sitting on yellow cards. Nqobizitha being a hardman, there was a danger of him getting a red card.”
The match started off slowly, with both sides struggling to penetrate each other’s defence. The first attempt on goal came in the 20th minute when Chicken Inn midfielder Clive Dzingayi shot wide. It took Highlanders 32 minutes to breach Chicken Inn’s backline, when defender Peter Muduhwa overlapped only to shoot over the bar. In the 38th minute, a good build-up by Chicken Inn was blocked by Bosso keeper Ariel Sibanda.
Leroy-Lista Ndlovu reacted quickly to the rebound, but Muduhwa threw his body on the line to block a goal bound shot. Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas was happy with the point.
“I thought that at the end we could have stolen maximum points, but playing a man down for the last eight minutes was difficult. I’m happy with how we’re progressing and this was a fair result. We have to go for our last game to pick up maximum points so that we top the group,” said Antipas.
Teams
Highlanders: Ariel Sibanda, Crispen Ncube (Charlton Siamalonga 85th min), Mbongeni Ndlovu (Pritchard Mphelele 46th min), Andrew Mbeba, Peter Muduhwa, Nqobizitha Masuku (Winston Mhango 46th min), Godfrey Makaruse (Keith Mavunga 68th min), Joel Ngodzo (Ray Lunga 68th min), Washington Navaya, Bukhosi Sibanda, Lynoth Chikuhwa
Chicken Inn: Donovan Bernard, Passmore Bernard, Xolani Ndlovu, Nielson Ketala, Moses Jackson, Shepard Mhlanga, George Majika (Brian Muza 62nd min), Clive Dzingayi, Obriel Chirinda (Nicole Mutatiwa 78th min), Leroy-Lista Ndlovu (Malvin Gaki 78th min), Powell Govere (Munashe Pini, 62nd min)
Chibuku Super Cup results
Saturday: ZPC Kariba 0-2 Dynamos, Cranborne Bullets 2-1 Black Rhinos, FC Platinum 1-1 Triangle United
Yesterday: Caps United 1-1 Herentals, Yadah FC 1-3 Harare City, Whawha 1-5 Ngezi Platinum Stars, Bulawayo Chiefs 1-2 Bulawayo City, Manica Diamonds 2-2 Tenax
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