Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira and Onward Gangata
Zimpapers Sports Hub
BACK in April, when Highlanders were trapped in a frustrating six-match win-less run in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, coach Benjani Mwaruwari stood before the criticism and made a bold promise.
At a time when patience among sections of the Bosso faithful was beginning to wear thin, the former Warriors captain insisted the foundations were being laid for something bigger.
“Football is a process. I’m happy with what we are doing, slowly but surely. As soon as this machine clicks properly, I think it will cause problems for many teams,” said Mwaruwari.
At the time, those words sounded more hopeful than convincing.
Highlanders were drawing too many matches, struggling to create enough chances and lacking the ruthlessness expected from one of the country’s biggest clubs.
Fast forward to Matchday 12 and the mood around the Bosso camp has changed dramatically.
Mwaruwari now has back-to-back league victories under his belt after edging Triangle 1-0 before following that with a statement 1-0 win away to Hardrock on Wednesday.
Suddenly, the question is no longer whether Bosso can improve, but whether Mwaruwari’s team is finally beginning to click into gear.
The timing could not be better.
With Ngezi Platinum Stars visiting Barbourfields on Sunday, Highlanders have an opportunity to make an even louder statement against the only unbeaten side in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
Perhaps most importantly for Bosso, the atmosphere around the club appears healthier than it has been in weeks.
Players have received their salaries, easing tensions that had threatened to become a distraction earlier in the campaign.
The improved mood has started reflecting on the pitch.
Against Hardrock, very few gave Highlanders a realistic chance of collecting maximum points.
The Kwekwe-based side had turned Chahwanda into a fortress and arrived for the match carrying momentum.
Hardrock had demolished their previous two opponents — FC Hunters and TelOne — in ruthless fashion, scoring nine goals in the process, while Bosso travelled as underdogs.
But football has a habit of reminding people about pedigree.
And on Wednesday, Highlanders reminded the league exactly who they are.
The giants of Zimbabwean football.
For 70 minutes the contest remained delicately balanced, with Hardrock enjoying spells of dominance while Bosso stayed disciplined and compact.
Then came the moment that may yet define Highlanders’ season.
Substitute Reason Sibanda produced a stunning bicycle kick after connecting acrobatically with Andrew Mbeba’s inch-perfect delivery.
The goal was breathtaking.
A strike that seemed to suspend time inside Chahwanda before smashing into the back of the net.
Hardrock were stunned, their unbeaten home record shattered in an instant.
It was the type of goal that can reignite belief inside a dressing room and reconnect supporters with a team still searching for consistency.
While Sibanda’s wonder strike naturally grabbed the headlines, Highlanders’ overall performance carried encouraging signs for Mwaruwari.
In midfield, Rainsome Pavari and captain Darlington Mukuli covered every blade of grass, disrupting Hardrock’s rhythm while providing composure in transition.
At the back, the defensive pairing of Nomore Chinyerere and Lawrence Mhlanga stood firm, successfully neutralising the threat posed by Washington Navaya.
There was organisation, discipline and most importantly, resilience.
“My boys fought all the way, they showed character, and the team spirit around us is getting high up there,” said Mwaruwari after the victory.
“After this hopefully we improve on the areas we didn’t do well. At times after wins like this one you forget about the mistakes you made, but we still need to improve.”
Despite the recent victories, Mwaruwari remains cautious about getting carried away.
Bosso’s season has been built more on defensive solidity than attacking fluency.
Before these back-to-back wins, Highlanders had drawn seven matches, many of them games they dominated without converting chances.
Yet there are now visible signs of growth.
“Football is a process, and we are heading in the right direction. When you are building there are a lot of things you have to pass through,” said Mwaruwari.
“We had seven draws and we were not conceding, then we had problems with set-pieces but we have started to work on the set-pieces.
“To be a good team you have to work on many areas. Now we are getting goals but they are not enough, we need to get more goals to win matches.”
That honest assessment perhaps explains why belief is slowly returning among the Bosso faithful.
For the first time this season, Highlanders look like a side beginning to understand itself.
The players appear more comfortable in Mwaruwari’s system, the dressing room mood has improved following salary payments and results are finally starting to match performances.
Now comes the biggest test yet.
Ngezi arrive at Barbourfields unbeaten and fully aware that a confident Highlanders side backed by a fired-up home crowd can become a dangerous proposition.
For Mwaruwari, Sunday’s clash is about more than just three points.
It is another chance to prove that his “machine” is finally beginning to click.
And if Highlanders produce another commanding performance, the rest of the league may soon discover that Bosso are no longer merely rebuilding — they are becoming contenders once again.
