Hwange hold Bosso

From Sikhumbuzo Moyo, in BULAWAYO
Highlanders . . . . . (1) 1
Hwange . . . .. . . . . (0) 1
A penalty, a well struck goal and a red card were the three major highlights of this top of the table clash as Bulawayo giants and Hwange shared the spoils, in the process Bosso making way for bitter rivals Dynamos to leap to top of the log standings in a Premiership match at Barbourfields yesterday.

Bosso took charge of the proceedings in the 22nd minute from a Munyaradzi Diya spot kick before Aleck Marime pulled one back for the visitors in the 59th minute. His teammate Munyaradzi Mungwazi saw red eight minutes before time.

Coming from a 3-0 away win over new boys, Chiredzi on Easter Monday, Highlanders were in the driving seat in the 22nd minute through a well-taken penalty by Diya who took his goal tally to three in as many matches. The penalty was awarded after Highlanders’ Milton Ncube was hacked down inside the box by Hwange right back Eric Chipeta.

This was after Ncube had dispossessed his national team colleague from goalkeeper Takava Mawaya’s goal kick. Upon gaining control of the ball Ncube charged forward with Chipeta in a desperate attempt to win back possession but could only hack Ncube down and the referee, Mandlenkosi Sibindi rightfully pointed to the spot.

Up-stepped Diya coolly slot the ball into the nets, in the process sending his opposite number Mawaya the wrong way.
Highlanders could have opened the scoring as early as the ninth minute when dribbling wizard, Kuda Mahachi made the first of his many light work moves off Hwange left back Munyaradzi Mungwazi, lobbying the ball over him before skilfully controlling it down, in the process charging forward as if going towards the corner flag but in a flash changed direction and released a dipping shot towards goal that was however, tipped over the bar for a corner by Mawaya.

Chipangano responded two minutes later when Chipeta’s free-kick following a foul by Erick Mudzingwa on young Oscar Lungu, hit the upright post on Diya’s left side. Diya had reacted a shade too slow and had it been on target, the Hwange bench would have celebrated on that occasion. Highlanders continued with their torment of the Hwange defence but the goal proved elusive until the 22nd minute penalty by Diya.

The coalminers got their first corner in the 32nd minute which they wasted and Highlanders immediately launched an attack, Mahachi left Isaac Masame for dead, passed the ball to Milton who quickly released veteran midfielder Mthulisi Maphosa.

Maphosa, however, took long to go for the kill as he tried to look for a better shooting angle and by the time he attempted to shoot, the Hwange defence of David Boriwondo and skipper Gerald Ndlovu had covered the impending danger. Maphosa still managed to lay the ball back to Milton who was losing his balance but still managed to intelligently execute a back healer to Simon Munawa but the midfielder-turned-rightback reacted a bit too slow to the ball.

Five minutes before half-time, a snap speculative shot by Rodwell Chinyengetere went over the bar. In the 42nd minute Bosso were forced to make an injury inspired substitution, when Maphosa limped off with a knee injury, South African bound Peter Moyo replaced him. Moyo would certainly want to quickly forget yesterday’s match as he was of no value to the team, losing the ball unnecessarily while also failing to mark.

He together with the other substitutes Valentine Ndaba and Ozias Zibande failed to change the complexion of the game whose tone had earlier been set by the out off sorts Munawa and Rahman Kutsanzira.

“The guys we brought in did not play to our expectations,” said Bosso gaffer Kelvin Kaindu.
The first half ended with the Bulawayo giants leading 1-0.

Hwange kicked off the second stanza playing purposeful football and were always dangerous with Masame, Marime and fiery when going forward.
Young Lungu should also be commended for matching his more experienced opponent Mudzingwa man for man, although he was later taken out by coach Nation Dube for veteran Gilbert Zulu. Their dominance finally paid dividends following some quick thinking by Lungu who wasted no time in taking a free-kick to Marime on the score board side. Marime pushed the ball forward before letting loose a low shot that rifled into the nearside of a diving Diya. Good goalkeepers’ rarely concede such goals and Diya with his experience should not have conceded such a goal, never mind that it was a well-taken one.

There was really nothing much to write home about there after save for the red carding of Mungwazi for a careless tackle from behind on Milton. He received his second yellow card after his first on  Mahachi in the first half.

“We lacked someone who could create opportunities for us and its really unfortunate we dropped two points at home,” said Kaindu.
Hwange assistant coach Chenjerai Dube blamed the draw on what he called poor officiating by the referee.

“Some decisions were really baffling but I must commend the boys for a good show, Highlanders were better in the first half while we managed to regroup and came back a better lot in the second,” said Chenjerai.

Teams:

Highlanders: M. Diya, S. Munawa (O. Zibande 84th minute), B. Kangwa, I. Mapuranga, D. Ndlovu, M. Maphosa (P. Moyo 42nd minute), E. Mudzingwa, M. Ncube, K. Mahachi, C. Sibanda, R. Kutsanzira (V. Ndaba 69th minute)

Hwange: T. Mawaya, E. Chipeta, M. Mungwazi, D. Bworiwondo, G. Ndlovu, A. Chuma, F. Vimisayi (E. Rusike 73rd minute), I. Masame (T. Chese 61st minute), R. Chinyengetere, A. Marime, O. Lungu (G. Zulu 80th minute)