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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
Highlanders 2-1 Mutare City Rovers
RALPH Matema came from the bench to score Highlanders’ winner for a second consecutive week at Barbourfields Stadium today, as Bosso saw off visiting Mutare City Rovers to advance to the quarter-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup.
With both teams tied at 1-1, Matema, who replaced the ineffective Allen Gahadzikwa in the 61st minute, scored the winner in the 79th minute when he beat Mutare City Rovers’ goalkeeper Philip Nhete at the near post.
Matema, who scored Highlanders’ winner in the 2-1 league victory over Dynamos last week, did justice to Bosso’s build up to the second goal yesterday by connecting a Prince Dube cross from the right.
Highlanders had taken the lead four minutes into stoppage time through a classic own goal by Munyaradzi Sako, who beat Nhete in a desperate attempt to block a hard and low cross delivered by Dube.
However, a blunder by Highlanders’ left-back Honest Moyo, who failed to control a simple pass in the 47th minute, gifted Mutare City Rovers the equaliser. Collen Muzavazi reacted quickly to collect the loose ball and fed Agrippa Murimba, who easily beat drawn out Highlanders’ goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda.
Bosso could have won the game by a wider margin had they not fluffed five clear-cut chances, three in the first half and two in the second.
Bosso players were seemingly affected by Mutare City Rover’ psychological tactics involving suspected juju. The home team’s players kept going to “remove things” from goalkeeper Nhete’s goal area.
Nhete’s atnics of “planting something” in his goal area agitated Bosso fans, who reacted by throwing bottles with urine whenever their players missed clear cut chances.
Online Reporter