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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Highlanders fiery striker Zenzo Moyo has urged misfiring Bosso strikers to be calm and come to the party when inside the box instead of rushing their attempts.
Moyo believes goals will eventually come but the boys need to justify their positions in the team.
“Goals will come but what these boys need to do is to show composure when inside the box. They’re putting themselves under unnecessary pressure even though we should give them credit for the chances they’re creating,” said Moyo, who sealed his Golden Boot Award in 2000 halfway into the season as he left for Europe.
“They’re doing everything right except scoring. They just need to be relaxed instead of overdoing things when in front of goal. I know expectations are high when playing for a big institution like Highlanders but that comes with the territory. You can’t be an average player and play for Highlanders, no, you need to have something extra that separates you from the rest of the players playing for the other 15 teams,” said Moyo.
Highlanders strikers have been firing blanks this season and have now gone for 360 minutes without hitting the target.
Defenders, Teenage Hadebe and Webster Chingodzo have instead taken up the responsibility of scoring, both scoring match winning goals. Hadebe came up with a fluke but wonder goal against Tsholotsho while Chingodzo found the target against Hwange.
On Monday, the strikers fired blanks on the road to Buffaloes in Mutare, the only third time that a match between the two sides has produced no goals.
Bongani Mafu, the Highlanders gaffer lamented the missed chances as well as the poor state of the Sakubva pitch.
“We created a lot of scoring chances, but somehow just couldn’t score. We were relying on Thomas Chidewu but you could see that the task was too much for the young man.
“We also couldn’t play our usual game because of the rains. Yes, the turf is okay, but the puddles that were there as a result of the rains didn’t allow us to play our usual game. I think the city council should do more to avoid having puddles on the pitch each time it rains,” said Mafu.
Bosso though, have always found winning against Buffaloes at Sakubva Stadium difficult save for last season when a Charles Sibanda hat-trick earned them a 3-1 win. Before then they had only managed draws and losses.
Bosso drew 0-0 with Buffalloes in their debut season in 2000, lost 0-2 in 2001, the year that Buffaloes were relegated. Highlanders were on cruise mode in that season, crushing all that came before them as they marched on to their third of the four league titles. The 0-2 defeat cost Rahman Gumbo, who was the head coach then, his job.
When Buffaloes returned in 2012, they played to a 1-1 draw with Highlanders. It was the same scoreline in 2013.
Top 11 goalscorers after four matches
Four: Raphael Manuvire (ZPC Kariba)
Three: Edmore Chirambadare (Chicken Inn), Artwell Nyamiwa (ZPC Kariba)
Two: Hillary Bakacheza, Pasca Manhanga, Kawondera Richard (Triangle), Ronald Chitiyo (Dynamos), Milton Muponda (Flame Lily), Roderick Mutuma (Caps United), Evans Rusike (Hwange), Martin Vengesai (Harare City).
Online Reporter