Highlanders fall to BMC

played before an equally disappointing crowd at Luveve Stadium yesterday.
The match was however spiced up by the performance of Zambian midfielder George Mubita who showed a lot of promise with some brilliant visionary passes while his fellow countryman, striker Nasha Kaaya, also had a decent afternoon.
For a few minutes after kick-off it was almost impossible to tell the formation which the team was using although it looked like a 4-4-1-1 and it was therefore not surprising that the visitors struck first through the boot of home boy Mandla Sibanda who did justice to a through pass from another Zimbabwean Hillary Madzivanyika, who used to turn out for Ajax Hotspurs in the Zifa Bulawayo Division Two League.
Sibanda was a constant menace to the Bosso defence but it was good that the central defence duo of veteran Innocent Mapuranga and impressive Tendai Ndlovu quickly realised the danger and stuck to him like leaches.
After the 12th minute opener by Sibanda, Highlanders realised the potential of letting in more goals and quickly organised themselves with assistant coach Bekithemba Ndlovu up on his feet immediately after his boys had conceded.
Head coach Kelvin Kaindu watched the match from the terraces while Ndlovu was assisted by Division Two coach Mark Mathe.
In one of the forays, a free kick was awarded to Highlanders a few metres from the 18-yard box and from the resultant kick came a beauty of a goal. New skipper, Eric Mudzingwa, who however had a subdued game, quickly passed the ball to an onrushing Munawa who let loose a pile driver that was written goal throughout and the visitors’ goalkeeper Takudzwa Ndoro could do very little do stop the goal, even though he dived full length.
From there onwards play from both sides became a big yawn and some fans could be seen reading their newspapers while others engaged in post election discussion until the referee, Mlindeli Ndebele blew for halftime.
Much of the second half had nothing to write home about until perhaps the introduction of juniors Mgcini Sibanda, Arnold Ndiweni, Gillian Nsingo and Xolani Moyo.
Even Bruce Tshuma who came in for Brighton Choto did well but it was the youngsters who stole the limelight with some forgotten dribbling skills that saw the few fans who were there cheering and some vuvuzelas suddenly being blown.
“You have a very good team made up of youngsters and I can promise you if you keep them together you will soon reap the rewards,” said BMC assistant coach Motswadi Motswadi to Ndlovu soon after the match.
BMC’s winner came against the run of play in the 68th minute when Sibanda scrambled a goal after Bosso goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda failed to deal with a harmless looking shot.
Like in the first half, the goal seemed to remind the now youthful Bosso side that a game of football was all about scoring and that happens with positive play.
An equaliser nearly came in the 40th minute through the ingenuity of Zambian Mubita whose intelligent switch of play saw him spot a running Warren Dube who responded with a swift diving header that missed the upright post by inches. Highlanders will this week go into their pre-season camp near Halfway House Hotel.
With the victory, the Botswana side completed a successful weekend in Zimbabwe having shocked cash rich Zvishavane side FC Platinum 2-0 at Mandava Stadium on Saturday.
Teams:
Highlanders: A Sibanda (J Sibanda 82nd), B Choto (B Tshuma 46th) M Ncube (A Sibanda 81st), T Ndlovu, I Mapuranga, S Munawa (T Munyaradzi 86th ), G Mubita, E Mudzingwa (W Dube 59th), N Kaaya, G Ncube ( M Sibanda 80th), B Kangwa
BMC: T Ndoro, T Mamwano, L Tshireletso, A Mwale, O Molapo, K Robe, M Sibanda, K Pilato, M Sikele, H Madzivanyika, K Vetsile.