Premier Soccer League match before an appreciative crowd at Barbourfields yesterday.
The day belonged to hat-trick hero Milton Ncube while rookie Ozias Zibande capped the afternoon with a debut goal too for one of Bosso’s biggest wins in recent years.
The match started on a lively note with Bosso showing clear intentions of winning, and win they did, sending a clear message of that they mean business this year. Their victory left Bosso’s Zambian coach Kelvin Kaindu a happy man.
“We got what we wanted and my boys played according to the brief we gave them. I feel we could have scored many goals judging by the number of chances we created,” said Kaindu.
His counterpart, Wishes Shiridzinomwa, blamed lack of fitness on his players for the big loss.
“The play was fine but we succumbed to lack of fitness as we started our preparations very late. We will, however, definitely survive relegation,” said Shiridzinomwa, who took over from Misheck Chidzambwa.
With some people still trickling into the stadium, Ncube did justice to a miscued kick from the impressive Mthulisi Maphosa 10 minutes into the match to let loose a dipping volley that gave Blue Rangers’ goalkeeper Tapiwa Zvaita no chance.
It was a goal of top quality.
In fact, all his three goals were classy. Seven minutes later, hardworking skipper Innocent Mapuranga failed to use his vast experience when he seemed to panic after finding himself face-to-face with Zvaita who should be given credit for blocking the ball. By then Tshilamoya were already on song and two minutes later, they came charging again, this time dreadlocked Bhekimpilo Ncube could not believe it as his shot grazed some paint off the cross bar with the vociferous Soweto Stand already up on their feet.
In the 23rd minute Graham Ncube was hacked down on the edge of the box and young Honest Moyo took the responsibility.
Moyo wasted the chance after he blasted his effort into a forest of legs from the Blue Rangers wall.
The second goal came in the 27th minute with Maphosa again being the provider.
The former Monomotapa skipper laid the ball for Ncube who toyed with his marker, Paul Marazanye, before lofting the ball to the far post from the 12-yard box that gave Zvaita no chance at all.
The last attack of the first half fell to Bhekimpilo who, however, blasted his effort way over the bar.
Blue Rangers upped their game in the second half, especially after the introduction of the vastly experienced Elliot Matsika, who came in for Effort Kopeni.
They started taking some control of the midfield area as Matsika’s combination with captain Bernard Bvumbwe gave Highlanders some anxious moments.
With Highlanders having two midfielders, Peter Moyo and Simon Munawa, who are good only when in possession, the visitors kept charging but their efforts came to naught every time they faced the defence well marshalled by Eric Muzingwa and Mapuranga. In their only shot on target in the entire match, Talent Munetsi’s cross was saved by Ariel Sibanda with Matsika waiting to pounce on any spill. Former Highlanders striker Vincent Nzombe was introduced on the hour mark for Ephraim Gwiliza but he failed to justify his presence.
Ncube was to jerk off the Highlanders supporters in the 69th minute when he scored with a bicycle kick after a solo run by Bruce Kangwa, who had come in for Bhekimpilo.
Kaindu then made a double substitution, bringing in his graduates from the juniors, Arnold Ndiweni and Ozias Zibande, for Munawa and Milton respectively. Graham then released Zibande who ran into the box and managed to poke the ball past Zvaita.
“For me to score on my debut for Highlanders means a lot,” said Zibande after the match.
Teams:
Highlanders: A Sibanda, E Mudzingwa, A Musasa, H Moyo, M Maphosa, P Moyo, M Ncube (O Zibande 76th minute), B Ncube (B Kangwa 53rd minute), G Ncube, I Mapuranga, S Munawa ( A Ndiweni 76th minute).
Blue Rangers: T Zvaita, T Mpangu, C Boroma, P Marazanye, C Dickson, B Bvumbwe, E Kopeni (E Matsika 46th minute), S Hadebe (T Mparaganda 76th minute), T Munetsi, E Gwiliza (V Nzombe 60th minute), T Ushe.
Economy: Growth signs visible
Martin Kadzere Senior Business Reporter ZIMBABWE has made significant progress towards achieving upper-middle-income status, with the country’s Gross National Income per capita growing by 84 percent since 2021, Finance, Economic…



