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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter—
HIGHLANDERS FC bad boy Charles Sibanda, will not be part of the squad that will face Hwange in a league match at the Colliery Stadium this afternoon.
While caretaker coach Mark Mathe refused to confirm his final team that will do duty this afternoon, sources close to the player and the club confirmed that Sibanda did not travel with the rest of the players yesterday morning ahead of the duel this afternoon.
“He is not part of the team that went to Hwange,” said a close friend.
It was not immediately clear whether the move was part of the disciplinary measures that the club has taken against the player who shocked all and sundry in the 0-1 defeat to Chicken Inn on Sunday when he went straight to the dressing room after being substituted in the 53rd minute by Knox Mutizwa. The norm is that substituted players join their team on the bench.
After changing Sibanda surprisingly went to sit on the terraces something which appeared to incense fans who then bayed for his blood before he was ushered to the bench by Bosso supporter Don Ndebele.
Club chairman Peter Dube, on Monday told Chronicle Sport that they would issue a public statement on the decision taken on the player after their meeting with the technical team on Monday.
Meanwhile, Mathe will be like a man taking sacrificial lambs to slaughter when he parades his lads against Hwange FC in a league match at the Colliery Stadium this afternoon.
Bosso, winless in their last five league matches and with just two league wins in the second half of the season, are going through their worst run in recent years with the free fall having caused the Bulawayo giants and coach Kelvin Kaindu to go separate ways by mutual consent three weeks ago.
Bosso, who were favourites to win the championship, are now facing relegation threats.
Tshilamoya who fell 0-1 to Chicken Inn in a city derby on Sunday battle it out with the coal miners who drew 0-0 with Black Rhinos on Saturday.
Highlanders however, enjoy a psychological advantage over the coalminers as they have not lost at the Colliery since 2010, the last time Hwange collected maximum points over Highlanders at home. It was a 1-0 win for Hwange but since then they have lost all their home games to Bosso.
Mathe acknowledges that it’s going to be a tough game for them but they are prepared for a fight.
“Hwange are a formidable side, they are on a high after a good show on the road while we have not been producing expected results but undermining us will be suicidal. We need to redeem ourselves by collecting three points,” said Mathe, appointed acting head coach following the departure of Kaindu who is now at Triangle.
The gangly Mathe said his camp was not thinking of relegation despite the threats.
He said he would not disclose the team that he is taking to Hwange as that would be playing into the hands of their opponents. He however likely to use the same team that did duty on Sunday.
Hwange coach Nation Dube, refused to be swayed by the problems bedevilling their opponents this afternoon, urging his boys to just concentrate on their game plan.
“Like it or not, Highlanders is a big institution that can rise anytime so if we undermine them we might be in for a rude awakening. I told my boys to prepare for total war,” said Dube.
He said the fact that Highlanders have been conceding fewer goals was testimony that they were working on their shortcomings.
Former Highlanders coach Kaindu, makes an emotional return to Bulawayo and Hartsfield in particular as head of the Triangle technical department to face Chicken Inn that has not tested defeat in the last eight league matches.
Joey Antipas’ project seems to be coming to fruition and the former Motor Action coach said on Sunday that unity has been their biggest weapon that has seen them post good results.
Kaindu’s return to Zimbabwe football got off to a positive start with a 2-1 win over Caps United at Gibbo Stadium.
He was brought in to try and save Triangle from relegation.
The midweek game is without doubt at the giant National Sports Stadium where third placed Caps United play host to FC Platinum, themselves mathematically still in the race for the championship.
For Makepekepe it’s a swim or sink situation as they cannot afford to drop any further points if their entertain championship hopes. It’s also time for revenge for Taurai Mangwiro whose side were thumped 6-0 by Norman Mapeza’s boys in the ZNA Commander’s Charities Shield final.
In the Midlands, Luke Masomere also returns to face his former employers Shabanie Mine this time with his new paymaster How Mine. The gold miners however, will be without their marksman Kuda Musharu who is part of the four players set to miss action today after picking up three yellow cards.
The other players are Douglas Sibanda of Shabanie Mine, Prosper Matizanadzo (Buffaloes) and Simon Kafitire of Chiredzi.
Fixtures:
Today: Harare City v Dynamos (Rufaro), Shabanie Mine v How Mine (Maglas), Chicken Inn FC v Triangle United (Hartsfield), Chapungu v Bantu Rovers (Ascot), Chiredzi FC vs Black Rhinos (Chishamiso),
Caps United v FC Platinum (National Sports),
ZPC Kariba v Buffaloes (Gwanzura),
Hwange vs Highlanders (Colliery).
derick.khumalo