Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere at Barbourfields Stadium
Highlanders 1-0 Agama
HIGHLANDERS head coach Benjani “The Undertaker” Mwaruwari admitted his side made the match harder than it should have been after missing a number of clear chances before eventually edging past Agama City 1-0 at Barbourfields yesterday.
What looked set to end in a frustrating draw was decided deep into stoppage time, when a hopeful cross from Royn Nyamono on the right flank found its way into the net, rescuing Bosso at the death.
Despite the late drama, Mwaruwari said the most important thing was securing all three points, regardless of how the win came.
“A win is a win, no matter how ugly or beautiful it comes. We won it badly or, today (yesterday) we started brightly but it’s unfortunate we didn’t score more. If you start like that you have to finish off teams.
“It’s always frustrating to create chances and miss them. However, at the end of the day, we finally got the goal, whether it was an ugly one or beautiful one,” said the former Warriors captain.
The Highlanders coach appeared visibly relieved after watching his team dominate much of the match but fail to make their chances count.
Bosso controlled possession for long periods and created several clear opportunities, but poor finishing and inspired goalkeeping from Agama kept the game level.
For most of the afternoon, Highlanders looked like a side that could be punished for their wastefulness.
Benjamin Adeogun, Mongameli Tshuma, Rainsome Pavari and substitute Isaac Ngoma all had good chances to score, but none could find the back of the net. Agama goalkeeper Wilson Brown was also in fine form, making a series of important saves to keep his team in the game.
Ngoma came closest in the second half when his powerful shot struck the woodwork, leaving the home crowd groaning in frustration as another chance went begging.
Even though Highlanders spent most of the match on the front foot, they struggled to turn their dominance into goals, allowing Agama to remain in contention throughout.
The visitors were not just there to defend and had their own moments, particularly in the first half when lapses in the Highlanders defence created openings. However, they too failed to make those chances count.
As the final minutes approached, frustration began to grow among the Barbourfields faithful, with many fearing that their team would once again be held after failing to take their chances.
But just when it seemed the match would end goalless, Nyamono produced the decisive moment. His cross from the right dipped awkwardly and slipped past Brown, sparking wild celebrations among the home supporters.
The late goal handed Highlanders their fifth win of the season and took them to 25 points, a result that could prove important despite the performance falling short of expectations.
While the victory will be welcomed, Mwaruwari will be concerned by his team’s continued struggles in front of goal. Highlanders created enough chances to win the match comfortably long before stoppage time, but their failure to convert remains an area that needs urgent attention.
Even so, the coach chose to focus on the positives after a difficult build-up to the match, which had been overshadowed by off-field distractions.
In the end, what mattered most was the result.
Agama City coach Godfrey Tamirepi said his team had tried to frustrate Highlanders and felt unfortunate to concede so late in the game.
“Of course we lost but we tried to frustrate our opponents’ way throughout the match. We could have got goals but we kept on missing and sometimes blasting our efforts over the bar. In the second half they absorbed the pressure and came at us. It’s is unfortunate we ended up conceding in that particular fashion.”
