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Peter Phiri Sports Correspondent
Highlanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
Black Rhinos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0HIGHLANDERS beat Black Rhinos in the Commander Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Charities soccer match played at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Fringe player Ozias Zibande who started in the match scored the all-important goal for Bosso in the 56th minute to make sure his club pocketed the $6 000 winners’ prize.
Peter ‘‘Rio’’ Moyo who troubled the Black Rhinos rearguard outwitted his markers on the touch line and passed the ball to Douglas Sibanda.
Sibanda quickly crossed the ball into the box with the alert Zibande connecting with his head leaving Hebert Rusawo in goal for Black Rhinos well beaten.
The match started at a slow pace with both teams evenly balanced but it was the home team who almost drew first blood but Bruce Kangwa’s freekick missed the target by inches.
Five minutes later Moyo’s flashing header off a Kangwa cross also missed the target with the Bosso fans up on their feet and ready to celebrate.
Highlanders began to dictate the pace of the game by knocking the ball around and Sibanda came close to scoring but watched his rising shot from outside the box in agony in the 14th minute.
In the 22nd minute Lot Chiwunga could have put the visitors in the lead but he missed with Bosso goalkeeper Ashford Katsande at his mercy. Three minutes later Mgcini Sibanda another fringe player found himself one-on-one with Rusawo but he was too slow to react leaving the goalkeeper to pick up the pieces.
In the 32nd minute Sibanda was set up by the outstanding Moyo but his shot was punched for a corner by Rusawo who was the busier of the two goalkeepers.
Eight minutes before halftime Black Rhinos’ Brighton Mugoni almost caught Katsande off guard but his long range shot went over the bar and the two teams went to the break deadlocked.
The second half started at a cracking pace with a rejuvenated Black Rhinos having a field day in the middle of the park with Chiwunga, Wonder Kapinda, Marshal Mudewe and Trust Machacha giving the Bosso defence all sorts of problems.
But Highlanders scored against the run of play when Zibande who was making a return to the first team beat the Black Rhinos goalkeeper all systems out with a beautiful header in the 56th minute.
Black Rhinos responded quickly after the goal forcing two corners in succession but to no avail as the Bosso defence well marshalled by the ever improving Dumisani Fazo Ndlovu refused to budge.
Obey Gada of Black Rhinos was shown a yellow card in the 65th minute by referee Philani Ncube for a rough challenge on Moyo.
The visitors who had taken control of the game after the introduction of Brian Muzondiwa who came in for Mudewe put Bosso at the back foot with some enterprising play.
Muzondiwa gave the Highlanders defenders some anxious moments with his close ball control and darting runs and was revelation for Black Rhinos.
During one of those dangerous raids the Black Rhinos strikers however took turns to miss when the Highlanders defence went to sleep in the 76th minute.
Highlanders coach Kaindu who gave Lucky Nyoni, Zibande, Mgcini and Douglas some game time said it was a good practice match ahead of their midweek league game against neighbours Chicken Inn.
‘‘It was a good game and the boys played very well especially those who were given the chance to play for the first time today. Black Rhinos dominated us in the second half but in the first half we were on top of the situation. There is a possibility of fielding some of the new players who featured today during Wednesday’s match against Chicken Inn. But above all I would like to say this was good for charity,’’ said Kaindu.
His counterpart Arthur Tutani of Black Rhinos blamed his strikers for poor finishing but however praised his young charges for matching Highlanders in every department.
‘‘We played well but poor finishing cost us the game.
“My boys were knocking the ball around and were comfortable which is a good sign of a future team. I am building a future Black Rhinos team but we created a lot chances which went begging. Now we will go back to the drawing board and work on those grey areas,’’ said Tutani.
Teams
Highlanders: A. Katsande, B. Kangwa, P. Moyo (G. Ncube 72nd minutes), E. Mudzingwa, S. Munawa, K. Mutizwa, D. Ndlovu, D. Sibanda, M. Sibanda (B. Nkomo 55th minutes), B. Tshuma, O. Zibande.
Black Rhinos: H. Rusawo, J. Muhombwe, M. Kurerwa, S. Jimu, B. Homora, O. Gada, T. Machacha, W. Kapinda, M. Mudewe (B. Muzondiwa 63rd minutes), L. Chiwunga, B. Mugoni (E. Mucheni 75th minutes)
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