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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
BOSSO coach Kelvin Kaindu will be spoilt for choice for his starting 11 when his team faces Harare City in a Castle Lager football match at Barbourfields Stadium this afternoon.Four key players have recovered from injury, widening his selection options while striker Gabriel Nyoni and Mthulisi Maphosa remain non-starters. Simon Munawa, Welcome Ndiweni, Ozias Zibande and Charles Sibanda are fit.
Highlanders’ championship credentials will come under scrutiny against a side that appears to be on revival path.
The Bulawayo giants have gone for seven games without a loss. They have amassed 13 points from three wins and four draws while their opponents are glued at the bottom of the table with a paltry three points.
Today’s encounter at Emagumeni will be more of a David and Goliath affair, with Harare City hoping to beat the giants at their backyard.
It’s a mountain to climb for Bigboy Mawiwi and his boys as Highlanders clobbered Caps United 4-0 in their last match at Barbourfields Stadium two weeks ago.
Backed by their vociferous fans, Bosso are likely to turn up the heat on Harare City who disturbed Highlanders’ championship quest last season when they beat them 4-0 in the capital.
Memories of that destruction by the Sunshine City boys are still fresh in Bosso coach Kaindu’s mind.
“Harare City are not a bad side even though they have only registered one win. They are difficult opponents, remember they are the side who beat us 4-0. We know their pedigree and we have prepared well to get a positive result. We just have to stick to our game plan which I cannot reveal.
“Our preparations are going okay and we received national team players yesterday. They trained in our afternoon session and everyone is looking positive. There is also a slight improvement from the guys that had knocks, with only Mthulisi Maphosa and Gabriel Nyoni still sidelined due to injuries,” said Kaindu
Munawa, Ndiweni, Zibande and Sibanda have recovered from knocks that they got during their 1-1 draw against ZPC Kariba in their last league match.
Milton Ncube who signed a deal with Ajax Cape Town and was with Peter “Rio” Moyo on national duty could play his last match for Tshilamoya if selected.
Ndiweni has been a marvel at Highlandershe where he is assisting Erick Mudzingwa in central midfield and setting through strikers Sibanda, Zibande and Ncube.
Ariel Sibanda seems to have regained the number one spot from national team third choice goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya.
Harare City’s coach Mawiwi is aware of the damage that Highlanders can cause to his team.
Having seen Bosso dismantle Caps United and going on to play a blinder against ZPC Kariba in Harare, Mawiwi is bracing for a tough encounter.
“This is a tricky game for us because Highlanders are yet to lose and are already sending signals that they are serious contenders for the championship. We have to be at our best to make sure that we get a good result at Barbourfields.
“Soon after winning 2-1 against Triangle we were looking forward to our next game but we had a drawback because of national team commitments. Our confidence levels were high after that victory but this short break has taken off some steam,” said Mawiwi.
Harare City still have the core of their last season squad that finished the season tied on points with champions Dynamos and Highlanders.
Some of the players that Bosso has to keep under guard include William Manondo, James Jam, Osborne Mukuradare, Nathan Ziwini, Talent Chawapiwa who travelled with the Warriors for the Tanzania game on Sunday and ex-Bosso forward Misheck Mburayi.
Fixtures
Today: Shabanie Mine v Chiredzi (Maglas, 1PM Supersport); Highlanders v Harare City (Barbourfields)
derick.khumalo