adminFrom Ricky Zililo in BULAWAYO
Highlanders………………………….(0)1
Triangle……………………………………0
THE championship battle in the Castle Lager Premiership took an interesting turn when Highlanders ejected defending champions Dynamos from the top of the log following their victory over Triangle at Barbourfields yesterday.
Striker Ozias Zibande rose from the bench to score the solitary goal for Highlanders in the dying minutes of the game to make sure that Bosso take a slender one point lead over the chasing pack of Dynamos and Harare City who played to draws yesterday.
DeMbare surrendered the top spot after playing to a 1-1 draw with Shabanie Mine at Rufaro while relegated Motor Action held Harare City, who are third on the log and tied on 50 points with second placed Dynamos, to a goalless draw.
With two rounds of matches left before the season ends, Highlanders have taken the destiny of the championship into their own hands.
Bosso will now meet Harare City at the weekend in the capital with Dynamos coming to Bulawayo to face Chicken Inn.
Zibande was ecstatic with his goal and said they need to collect maximum points in their away trip to Harare City.
“The last time I scored was against Tripple B and we went on top of the log.
“Today I have scored again we are back at the top of the log and I am very happy that my contribution to the team resulted in us getting a positive result. I thank God, the coach, my teammates and the supporters for this victory. This game is over and right now we must focus on our next game and hope to get maximum points against Harare City. It will not be an easy game because they are good but we have to fight hard and I believe the championship is likely to be decided at the weekend,” Zibande said.
Had Highlanders failed to garner maximum points, they would have had themselves to blame as they wasted numerous scoring opportunities especially in the first half.
The home side should have taken the lead four minutes into the game when Masimba Mambare sent in a cross which rolled past the face of the goal line as there were no takers.
Because of the enormous pressure that Bosso were putting, Triangle were forced to be on the back foot and it did not come as a surprise when their skipper Limited Chikafa was booked in the ninth minute for a lunge on Mambare.
Just after the quarter-hour mark, Heritein Masuku headed to the side net off a Gabriel Nyoni cross.
Nyoni went on to miss two glaring opportunities in the 24th and 26th minutes failing to direct his efforts to the goal.
Triangles goalkeeper Brighton Chipula did well to deny Masuku who had done well to cut in front of a defender in the box and took a shot on target.
Mthulisi Maphosa also saw his curler tipped over for a corner by an alert Chipula.
Triangle did not come out of the blocks yesterday as they looked comfortable with playing for a draw.
Five minutes before the break, the visitors’ striker Misheck Mburayi got into the referee’s book for simulation when he went down easily on the box without being challenged but a spot- on Bekezela Makeka gave him a yellow card.
After the breather, Highlanders continued with their search for an opener but Mambare and Nyoni were guilty of taking turns to miss chances.
Realising that Bosso were attacking through the centre, Triangle coach Gishon Ntini pulled out Walter Mukanga for William Mapfumo and the move paid off as they began to win midfield tussles.
When news filtered through that Shabanie Mine had equalised at Rufaro, Bosso fans rose from their seats to cheer their team and that seemed to have been what the doctor had ordered as the players woke up from their slumber.
However, Highlanders’ biggest letdown was that they kept pumping high balls into the box yet they had short strikers and in the process failed to penetrate Triangle’s defence.
Ntini tried to pull out Chikaka for Richard Kawondera in the 75th minute but the former Caps United player refused to be substituted.
Four minutes later, Chikaka was again called out but began to waste time and Makeka rightfully gave him his second yellow card which resulted in Triangle being reduced to 10 players.
That did not go down well with the visitors and the match had to stop for six minutes and when it was time to resume play, Chipula alone fell to the ground as he feigned injury which earned him his first yellow card before getting his second for dissent.
Chipula’s theatrics led to Triangle being left with nine players, a numerical advantage that Bosso made use off.
With just a minute left before the end of the game, Milton Ncube whipped in a perfect cross from the left which Zibande headed down to the near post past a diving Ashley Reyners.
In his post-match interview, Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu challenged his players to show character if they are to win the title.
“We created a number of chances but failed to convert. If we are to win the championship we need to have character. I am not happy with the way we played but I am relieved that we managed to get maximum points,” said Kaindu.
Instead of blaming the defeat on his players’ lack of discipline, Ntini took a swipe at the referee.
“We were hard done by the referee. He frustrated us from the first whistle,” said Ntini.
Teams
Highlanders: A. Sibanda, S. Munawa, B. Kangwa, E. Mudzingwa, I. Mapuranga, M. Maphosa, P. Moyo (M. Ncube, 69th minute), M. Mambare, H. Masuku (B. Ncube, 62nd minute), M. Masitara (O.Zibande, 53rd minute), G. Nyoni
Triangle: B. Chipula, B. Juwayeyi (M. Muneri, 56th minute), N. Togara, C. Ngondonga, D. Sengu, C. Makoto, W. Mukanga (W. Mapfumo, 64th minute), C. Denias, P. Manhanga (A. Reyners, 90th minute), M. Mburayi, L. Chikafa
Online Reporter