adminTedious Manyepo Sports Reporter
INFLUENTIAL ZPC Kariba goalkeeper and captain Tendai Hove has challenged his teammates to believe in themselves and improve their concentration levels if they are to collect maximum points at home against title aspirants Highlanders at Nyamhunga on Saturday.
The electricity men ended a run of eight consecutive league games without a victory when they beat Chapungu 1-0 courtesy of Dexter Phiri’s deflected goal at Ascot, last Saturday.
The victory took them to fifth place on the log standings with 28 points, 11 behind table-toppers FC Platinum.
And it is the newly found form which Hove wants his team to carry on to the weekend match against a Bosso side who are undergoing a dry spell, having gone for four games on the bounce without a win.
“The game against Highlanders is a little bit tricky, but it is a must win for us.
“I believe that the dry spell which we have endured for a long time is gone for good.
“We went for eight agonising games without posting any victory.
“We only remembered how to win a league match against Chapungu last weekend and that result should spur us on.
“We have to challenge ourselves to go for more than eight matches recording positive results,” said Hove.
Hove said “Katuruturu” have been playing an impressive brand of football, dictating the pace in midfield and tight in defence, but the goals have been eluding them.
“The team has been playing good football but our area of concern has always been the strike force where goals have not been coming.
“But I know our strikers are quite experienced and I am sure they will deliver the goods in our remaining games.
“The league is a marathon and although our chances of winning it look slim, we could end up having a huge say if we consistently pick the maximum points in remaining our matches,” he said.
But Sunday Chidzambwa’s men will need to be at their best if they are to dislodge Bosso on Saturday as the Bulawayo giants’ coach, Erol Akbay, has all week been oozing confidence that his charges will bounce back .
Highlanders, who have on a number of occasions topped the log standings this season, are not yet out of the title mix in what appears an open championship race that however, has FC Platinum and CAPS United as the front runners.
During their dry spell, Bosso have crashed to CAPS united, Triangle and lowly Mutare City Rovers before posting a one-all draw against neighbours Chicken Inn, in a match characterised by controversial officiating and violence in its aftermath.
Bosso have since slipped to third on the log with 32 points, seven behind FC Platinum, but Akbay still believes his charges can win the title.
“I am not under any pressure and we are still in the race. We can actually win the league title if we start converting all our chances consistently,” said Akbay.
Online Reporter