Bosso struggle to victory

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
Highlanders 1-0 Bulawayo City

HIGHLANDERS might have failed to replicate the poetic football they have been exhibiting lately, but they bounced back to winning ways, halting Bulawayo City’s three-match winning streak.

Bosso, who have been displaying beautiful football of late under coach Baltemar Brito, had a fine start but fizzled out as the game progressed.

Backed by a good crowd that expected to witness their team score plenty of goals as has been the norm lately – Highlanders scored three goals in each of their last two home games when they beat Black Rhinos 3-2 and Manica Diamonds 3-0 – the Bulawayo giants, by their own admission, were lukewarm.

However, the victory pushed Bosso three places up the ladder to position six with 33 points, leaving Brito satisfied with the result.

“Congratulations to Bulawayo City, they proved why they have won three games in a row, if they continue like that they can survive relegation.

Our players gave everything, sometimes you don’t play well but you win.

“In our opinion, we started well.

We didn’t concede, but in the second half they came a different side, but at the end it was three points for us.

We did not have a perfect game but we won.

When we faced Whawha we didn’t deserve to come out with nothing but we lost.

Today we did not play so well but we won,” said Brito.

Highlanders took control of the game from the first whistle, with their man-of-the-match Divine Mhindirira stealing the show with sublime displays.

Bulawayo City’s Crispen Machisi took one for the team to avert danger in the seventh minute as he brought down Mhindirira who was charging towards goal on a quick counter, and referee Prince Mathumo, who had a good game granted Bosso a freekick and booked Machisi.

From the resultant freekick, Highlanders’ central defender Mbongeni Ndlovu couldn’t direct his header off a Bukhosi Sibanda cross on target.

Highlanders got a deserved lead through in-form Godfrey Makaruse, who had the simple task of tapping the ball into an empty net in the 11th minute.

Bosso striker Lynoth Chikuhwa had done well to cut in front of Dominic Jaricha, before raising his head to spot left back Makaruse who had made a run into the box from the blindside.

The goal seemed to spur Makaruse, who was playing with confidence as he tried a 14th minute long attempt, missing the target by inches.

Bosso were turning the heat on City, with their defensive midfielder Cedric Chinomona struggling to contain Bosso’s central midfield pair of Mhindirira and Bukhosi Sibanda.

City coach Farai Tawachera noted that Highlanders were penetrating through the middle before assigning seasoned central midfielder Welcome Ndiweni and Melikhaya Ncube to double anchor – pushing Chinomona upfront.

City’s first attempt at goal came in the 27th minute when striker Dalubuhle Dlodlo shrugged a challenge from Mbongeni Ndlovu before unleashing a shot that went across the face of goal without troubling Highlanders goalie Ariel Sibanda.

City tried to press for an equaliser but found Bosso disciplined at the back, with Chinomona’s 40th minute snap shot going wide.

Two minutes later, City won a freekick on the edge of the box, with the Highlanders wall doing well to deflect a Wilfred Munorwei freekick.

City finished the first half the better side and returned from the breather much composed but they could not find the equaliser.

Both teams tried to open each other in the second half, but goals eluded them.

City’s central defender Mpumelelo Bhebhe rose high to clear at the goal-line a Bukhosi Sibanda lob in the 60th minute to keep the score-line respectable.

Tawachera felt they deserved at least a point.

“We lost three points but gained performance wise.

Our transition today was a bit slow. We should have hit them on the transition.

They scored from a lapse of concentration.

One mistake and three points gone,” Tawachera said.

Teams
Highlanders: Ariel Sibanda, Andrew Mbeba, Godfrey Makaruse, Mbongeni Ndlovu, Peter Muduhwa, Darlington Mukuli, Toto Banda (Pritchard Mphelele, 62nd minute), Divine Mhindirira, Lynoth Chikuhwa (Washington Navaya, 70th minute), Bukhosi Sibanda (Crispen Ncube, 70th minute, Archiford Faira, 86th minute), Adrian Silla

Bulawayo City: Reward Muza, Lewis Ncube, Winfred Munorwei, Mpumelelo Bhebhe, Dominic Jaricha, Cedric Chinomona (Haji Makopa, 59th minute), Crispen Machisi (Nqobile Ndlovu, 82nd minute), Welcome Ndiweni, Dalubuhle Dlodlo, Melikhaya Ncube, Genius Mutungamiri (Rodi Sibanda, 82nd minute)

PSL matchday 22 results

Friday: Herentals 0-0 Whawha

Saturday: Cranborne Bullets 2-1 Harare City, FC Platinum 1-0 ZPC Kariba, Chicken Inn 0-3 Dynamos, Yadah 1-0 Ngezi Platinum Stars

Yesterday: Highlanders 1-0 Bulawayo City, Caps United 0-0 Manica Diamonds, Triangle United 1-0 Black Rhinos, Tenax CS FC 0-2 Bulawayo Chiefs

PSL Table
P W D L F A GD Pts

FC Platinum 22 14 5 3 33 7 26 47

Chicken Inn 22 12 5 5 29 21 8 41

Dynamos 22 11 6 5 23 11 12 39

M/Diamonds 22 8 10 4 25 17 8 34

Triangle 22 9 7 6 27 22 5 34

Highlanders 22 8 9 5 28 18 10 33

Herentals 22 8 8 6 23 21 2 32