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Sikhumbuzo Moyo in Bulawayo
How Mine. . . . . . (1) 1
Highlanders . . . . (1) 1
(How Mine won 4-3 after penalties)
GOLD miners How Mine bundled Highlanders out of the lucrative Chibuku Super Cup with a penalty shoot-out victory in a match that was typical of a derby at Barbourfields yesterday.
The two sides were deadlocked after regulation time, How Mine scoring through Heritein Masuku in the 17th minute while Bosso equalised via a stunning Obediah Tarumbwa 30-metre set piece.
The penalty lottery saw How Mine’s Devon Chafa, Timothy Sithole, Heritein Masuku and veteran Mernard Mupera all converting their kicks while Wonder Sithole’s effort struck the woodwork.
Bosso scored through an on-fire stand in skipper Tarumbwa, Nqobizitha Masuku and dribbling menace King Nadolo with veteran Tendai Ngulube and new boy Thembinkosi Simango both failing to score.
Ngulube crashed his kick against the bar while Simango who many felt was given too much responsibility on his Highlanders debut, saw his effort saved by How Mine goalkeeper Donovan Bernard.
“Some of the experienced guys couldn’t come forward and the players you saw taking the spot kicks are the ones that came forward,” claimed Bosso coach Bongani Mafu when journalists demanded to know whose idea it was to have Simango take such a crucial spot kick.
Highlanders, however, could have avoided the agony of a penalty shoot-out had they buried the numerous scoring chances they created especially in the first half.
Mafu’s men literally toyed around their opponents, tearing them from the right where Rahman Kutsanzira operated, bullying them from the centre where Tarumbwa and Nadolo covered as well as the left flank where there was Valentine Ndaba complimented by the energetic Bruce Kangwa.
Ndaba though lost all the confidence after failing to score in a one on one situation with Bernard after being set up by Tarumbwa in the 15th minute.
The impatient Bosso fans started whistling and the young man never recovered in confidence until he was eventually taken out in the 42nd minute for debutant Thembinkosi Simango.
It was veteran Ngulube who asked the first questions off the How Mine defence with a left footed pile driver two minutes into the match that was punched back into play by Bernard but the Bosso follow ups were a shade too slow.
Bosso kept on attacking in search of an early goal. In the 10th minute Kutsanzira made a mockery of Nyasha Mukumbi and the former CAPS United man was left with no option but to bring down his former teammate a few metres from the corner flag. Nearside assistant referee Tione Kacheche dutifully raised his flag to signal a free-kick.
Upstepped Ndaba who delivered an inch perfect curler that found an unmarked Tarumbwa right inside the 12 yard box but for reasons still known to him, he somehow seemed to have been caught unaware and made a mess of it.
To their credit though, How Mine kept their composure and never panicked, like true veterans. With every Bosso player now sensing a goal, coach Luke Masomere spotted a pocket where Kangwa operated from and when the ball fell to Heritein, he took his chance and ran for the kill until he was inside the box where he let go a lawnmower that seemed to have grazed part of Felix Chindungwe’s boot and deflected its way to the nets.
The referee Allen Basvi credited Heritein with the goal though.
Stunned, Highlanders made positional changes, Kutsanzira switching to the left and Ndaba to the right as Mafu searched for an early equaliser.
He had to wait for 12 minutes and what a goal it was. Simon Munawa was hacked down about 30 metres outside the How Mine goal line and Tarumbwa chose to lead from the front by taking full responsibility.
He moved back a few metres, picked his spot and the rest was history.
Bernard never saw it coming.
Moments later, the gold miners got their own free kick right on the penalty arch after troublesome striker Kuda Musharu was hacked down by Chindungwe. Sithole’s resultant kick went close but over the bar.
Five minutes before the breather Godfrey Nguwodzawo couldn’t believe his eyes after Njabulo Nyoni saved his shot from a very acute angle.
The second half began with How Mine the better side but it was young Nadolo who almost jerked the Bosso fans off their seats when his dipping volley crushed against the cross bar, nine minutes into the second stanza.
It proved to be Bosso’s shot at goal the whole 45 minutes as How Mine kept their more illustrious opponents back pedalling most of the time.
Njabulo denied How Mine skipper Tapiwa Kumbuyani a clear goal when he made a clean catch of Kumbuyani’s header off a cross from the right, 75 minutes into the match.
There were no major goalmouth action until the final whistle.
“I am happy we won although the field was not level in terms of how the match was handled, it was clearly in favour of Highlanders,” said Masomere.
He alleged the Highlanders’ goal should not have stood as it was scored from a direct kick yet the referee had signalled for an indirect free-kick.
Teams:
How Mine: D. Bernard, T. Kumbuyani, M. Gutu, D. Chafa, H. Masuku, N. Mukumbi, G. Nguwodzawo (M. Mupera, 86th min), N. Tachi, K. Musharu, W. Sithole, T. Masuku (T. January, 28th min)
Highlanders: N. Nyoni, W. Chingodza, F. Chindungwe, H. Moyo, B. Kangwa, S. Munawa (N. Masuku 79th min), K. Nadolo, R. Kutsanzira (G. Makarutse. 63rd min), V. Ndaba (T. Simango 42nd min), O. Tarumbwa, T. Ngulube
Online Reporter