Vusumuzi Dube
Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter
IT might be early days yet but Highlanders FC still have the sense of belief!
After masterminding a spectacular 15 games unbeaten run in this year’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League campaign which entered into Round 16 yesterday, Highlanders, will this afternoon march deep into the bowels of Barbourfields Stadium, led by their captain and goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda in their much-anticipated tie against Manica Diamonds.
It is diamonds rush that Sibanda, warmly known as Mangoye, will lead with so much confidence courtesy of his stellar performances in goal for Bosso that has seen him produce a remarkable 11 clean sheets from 15 outings.
As such, it does not need any chameleonic caution to mention that this promises to be a nail-biting encounter, a top of the drawer clash that can go either way.
Sitting next to his club’s head coach Baltemar Brito, veteran Bosso midfielder Rahman “Rakocha” Kutsanzira, a player who has probably seen it all in Bosso colours, a club he left some years ago before he recently rejoined it after turning out for FC Platinum, has some burning desire to see the entire Bosso family blast through the speakers, a development that he thinks will frustrate their tricky diamond mining opponents this afternoon at Emagumeni.
“We are in a good mood, moving in a good direction. The boys are determined to do well. It’s not a case of I’m not starting, I’m not in the first eleven or I’m injured and I’m not in the final squad, we have kept on pushing each other.
Competition has been very much stiff in the team, as such we are asking for our fans to come in their numbers for this big mission,” said the pacey and skilful Kutsanzira.
In the process, he called upon the Bosso faithfuls to come to Emagumeni this afternoon and sing on top of their voices as the black and white family seek to uncover their equally tactically astute opponents who are under the guidance of shrewd gaffer ex-Young Warriors, FC Platinum and Triangle gaffer Jairos Tapera.
Interestingly, at a time when Tapera has reckoned that the vociferous Bosso fans, who will obviously come in their numbers, will have an effect to the outcome for this afternoon’s encounter, Kutsanzira rightly has the burning desire to see their army of followers shout and sing through the speakers in unison throughout the match. It could be true that Bosso are not all-weather friends. When the chips are low, they get into a shell.
“Our fans need to sing throughout the match. It’s now a mission with no return. I have observed that sometimes our fans usually keep quiet during a particular match and I don’t know why. Is it that they don’t trust us? The boys are willing to deliver.
There should be no time to rest on the stands. We need to work together throughout the match,” appealed the pacey attacking midfielder in the process calling upon for Bosso hit songs to be sung for the entire 90 minutes.
It indeed promises to be a Hell in Cell or Money In The Bank encounter at a probably fully packed Barbourfields Stadium where a carnival atmosphere for this pending top of the table encounter will be the order of the day.
In that regard, it is no wonder that Tapera has also predicted a nail-biting affair for he also doesn’t know how it will end come 5pm.
“They (Highlanders) have never lost a game and it’s going to be a very difficult match, a tricky one that will be played in front of their vociferous fans. However, we are in a competition and as such we are going to give it our best shot. Whatever the result, we will take it,” said Tapera.
Questions: Will Bosso uncover diamonds? Will Manica Diamonds be the team to beat finally beat Bosso?
Answer: Only time will tell, come 5pm.
Today’s Fixtures
Highlanders v Manica Diamonds (Barbourfields Stadium)
Sheasham v Black Rhinos (Bata Stadium), Simba Bhora v ZPC Kariba (Baobab Stadium), Hwange v FC Platinum (Colliery Stadium)
— @FungaiMuderere
Online Reporter