Chiefs address impasse

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

FOLLOWING a rare address by club director Lovemore Sibanda on Friday morning, a majority of Bulawayo Chiefs players turned up for training, with captain Malvin Mkolo saying his troops were ready to soldier on.

Chiefs will  face Highlanders this afternoon at Barbourfields Stadium having held one training session on Friday morning, after players had protested over unpaid money. Senior players who were conspicuous by their absence included Kelvin Madzongwe, the Moyo twins Elvis and Kevin, attacking midfielders Perfect Chikwende and Hughe Chikosa. Chikwende and Kevin Moyo will miss today’s tie as they are serving suspension having collected three yellow cards. Also ruled out of the derby against Bosso is skipper Mkolo who received a red card in their 1-0 league defeat to Bulawayo City.

But despite being out of the derby, Mkolo whose headed goal in the Chibuku Super Cup quarterfinal knocked Highlanders out of the competition rallied behind his troops.

“We go into the Highlanders game having had to deal with in-house issues and after meeting the director (Sibanda), the guys agreed that while the club works on the solution to the issues raised, let’s go back and soldier on. Our wish was to face Highlanders under different circumstances but it is what it is and the guys who are going to do duty will do their best. Highlanders can underrate us at their own peril,” Mkolo said.

Highlanders and Chiefs are facing off in the league for the sixth time since The Ninjas’ promotion in 2018.

Both teams have won two encounters each, playing to one draw that came in May when Chiefs surrendered a 2-0 lead to allow Bosso a last minute equaliser through Adrian Silla.

In the first leg of the 2021/22 season, Chiefs took a 30th minute lead through Elvis who headed in a Billy Veremu cross from the right. They doubled their lead three minutes into the second half through Arthur Musiyiwa who ghosted in from the blind side to connect a Felix Moyo cross from the right.

Silla then struck two beauties from outside the box, including a last-minute strike which saved Bosso an embarrassing defeat. But this afternoon, Chiefs’ physical fitness will be under scrutiny with Bosso expected to exploit their opponents’ poor preparations that saw them train once for the big encounter.

Hopefully, Chiefs won’t crumble and will give a good fight just like what Caps United did when they went down 2-1 fighting against Bosso who they faced off coming from a week-long strike in August. Maybe Chiefs might draw some inspiration from their last weekend qualification to the Chibuku Super Cup final following a 5-4 penalty shootout victory against Black Rhinos. The match had ended 0-0 in regulation time before being decided by penalties.

In the absence of Madzongwe, Kevin Moyo and Mkolo, Ben Nyahunzwi might partner MacClive Phiri in a makeshift central defence, with Felix Moyo on the right side of the backline. Lucky Ndlela, Mthokozisi Msebe, Musiyiwa and Mandlenkosi Gasela should form the midfield with Obriel Chirinda and either Dela Akorli or Farau Matare leading the strike force. 

They also have youngsters like Lexington Mujokoro, Panashe Shoko and Thomas Mudzengerere who are yearning for opportunities to play.

Bosso on the other end are unlikely to change the squad that drew 2-2 against Chicken Inn which missed an off sick Nqobizitha Masuku and suspended Darlington Mukuli at central midfield. Veteran Rahman Kutsanzira and Mason Mushore did well to fill in for Masuku and Mukuli, with Devine Mhindirira at his usual best in central midfield while Andrew Mbeba was in fine form at central defence where he partnered Peter Muduhwa. Bosso also have Godfrey Makaruse, Ray Lunga, Stanley Ngala and their leading league scorer on 10 goals Lynoth Chikuhwa to bank on.

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