Kaindu focuses on improving defence

HIGHLANDERS coach, Kelvin Kaindu has acknowledged his team’s weakness in central defence and says he has been working on fixing it.

Bosso have been leaking goals, with four conceded in two league matches, resulting in Kaindu focusing on training the team to improve its defence.

However, Highlanders’ offensive play has been impressive, scoring 15 goals this season, which is above half the goals scored last season. Last season, Bosso had the worst record in the second half of the season, with just four wins and nine goals in 17 matches.

A good start to this season has given the team hope for a better finish on the final league table.

It is no surprise that after their 2-0 win over CAPS United at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday, Bosso fans sang and chanted goalkeeper Raphael Pitisi’s name after he kept a clean sheet in the absence of injured first-choice veteran goalkeeper, Ariel Sibanda.

Young Mvelo Khoza (18) has been a revelation at right-back, with Archford Faira impressing on the left, while the central defence is giving Kaindu a headache.

Against Chicken Inn, Kaindu opted to play Peter Muduhwa and Brian Mlotshwa in central defence, but the latter was jittery leading to his substitution.

Against Herentals in Harare, Muduhwa partnered Mbeba in defence, but the team still went on to surrender a 2-0 lead and share the spoils with the Students.

On Sunday, Bosso survived several scares, which the defence could have easily dealt with, but they were lucky that the CAPS frontline was blunt.

The goals Bosso conceded against Chicken Inn and Herentals could have been prevented and Kaindu acknowledged that.

“My biggest worry in the last two games is how we defended. We gave away silly goals without our opponents working for them. I think the whole of last week we have been training on defending and there is an improvement from the central defenders, as we managed to keep a clean sheet. It’s not that l like to defend my players always, but l need to support them in every area we are lacking. What we need is to have consistency,” said Kaindu.

Despite not conceding, the defenders once again found themselves clearing from the line twice with goalie Pitisi out of position and in some instances, the ball went across the face of goal with the central defenders and goalkeeper beaten.

Kaindu is, however, pleased with the team’s offensive play.

“If you look at the goals that were scored last year and the goals we have scored this time around, l think in Week 9, we are almost half the goals that were scored last season. We have seen different players scoring.

“We will try as much as possible not to concede. I think our concentration on defending during last week’s training helped us against CAPS. l think we had become a bit loose in central defence,” said Kaindu.

For the Bosso fans, it must be exciting to see how their team is working on its defence, while also improving its offensive play. — @innocentskizoe.