CHICKEN INN HOST BOSSO

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter0—
HIGHLANDERS midfield magician Kudakwashe Mahachi will face his former paymasters Chicken Inn in a Castle Lager Premiership match set for Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow afternoon. Expectations will be high for Mahachi to turn on the heat against his ex-club having scored for Chicken Inn in both legs against Highlanders last season.

The ginger-haired midfielder, who is on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and should be leaving for France to attend trials anytime soon, scored the solitary goal for the Gamecocks in the first leg played at Barbourfields last season.

In the second leg, the nimble footed midfielder drew first blood in the sixth minute connecting a Brian Mbiriri cross before Milton Ncube equalised for Bosso just before the half hour mark.

Points dropped by Highlanders against Chicken Inn in the last two seasons contributed significantly to Bosso’s failure to land the league title which they lost twice on the trot to Harare giants Dynamos having had an inferior goal difference after finishing the league tied on points.

Other former Chicken Inn players in contention to face their old club are ex-Gamecocks captain Felix Chindungwe and goalkeeper Njabulo “Popo” Nyoni. However, the duo have been bench warmers at Bosso with the latter standing a better chance of being thrown into the fray ahead of Munyaradzi Diya who was beaten at the near post by Aleck Marime against Hwange.

Actually it is a “crime” for a goalkeeper in the topflight to be beaten at the near post.
Chicken Inn have two former Highlanders players who were discarded before the start of the season that may face Bosso tomorrow in the form of midfielder Bhekimpilo “Bhaka” Ncube, once Kelvin Kaindu’s darling and striker Graham Ncube.

Bhekimpilo has featured in almost all Chicken Inn’s league games while Graham is yet to break into the first team.
It remains to be seen which player will be able to punish their ex-club tomorrow and with bragging rights associated with a derby at stake, soccer lovers should brace for a treat.

Since their 2011 arrival in the Premiership, Chicken Inn have faced Bosso six times, winning once last year, playing to three draws and losing once 1-2 in their first meeting against Highlanders on May 25, 2011.

Going into tomorrow’s match, Chicken Inn are on position eight with five points from four outings and trail their opponents who are second on the log by three points.

A cracker of an encounter is on the cards as both clubs clash after playing to identical 1-1 draws at the weekend.
Highlanders were held by Hwange while Chicken Inn salvaged a point in the South Eastern Lowveld against Triangle FC.

Soon after the Hwange game, Highlanders’ coach Kaindu spoke about their lack of desire to score and it remains to be seen whether they have worked on their shortcomings.

“…We were not hungry for goals today,” said Kaindu in his post-match interview.
Highlanders’ players need to play as a unit, bury their differences especially in the midfield if they are to unlock opposition’s defence.
Strikers at Highlanders are not getting clear cut scoring opportunities and for a club like Bosso which happens to have some of the best midfielders in the land in the form of the national team duo of Peter “Rio” Moyo and Mahachi as well as veteran Mthulisi Maphosa, Knox Mutizwa who has had a terrific start to the season and Rahman Kutsanzira, it boggles the mind how they are failing to gel and create realistic chances.

Apart from these players, Highlanders have strikers Milton, Charles Sibanda, Ozias Zibande and national Under-20 forward Mgcini Sibanda who are capable of scoring if presented with fine opportunities.

If Highlanders are serious about winning things, then they have to put their dressing room in order and avoid losing points willy-nilly especially at their once favourite fortress Barbourfields Stadium.

They will not have it easy against the Joey Antipas coached Chicken Inn who boast of a number of experienced players in the form of Mbiriri, Clemence Matawu, Bhekimpilo, Mkhokheli Dube, Passmore Bernard and the most sought after anchorman in the country Danny “Deco” Phiri.

Antipas’ concern after seeing his side surrender a 1-0 lead in Triangle was in defence.
“It’s just that our defence failed to clear balls properly on the line,” he said.

Charles Mutero, Mbiriri, Moses Jackson and Ben Nyahunzvi form Chicken Inn’s defensive line and they have to be wary of Highlanders’ attack led by Milton and Sibanda.

Pointless log anchors Harare City play host to Buffaloes with FC Platinum taking their act to Harare to face ZPC Kariba at their makeshift Gwanzura base.

In other matches set for the Workers Day holiday, defending champions Dynamos travel to Gweru for a date with airmen Chapungu while Hwange are at home to Black Rhinos. Caps United take on Triangle at their National Sports Stadium base tomorrow.