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Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
UNLIKE last season when they were knocked out at the first hurdle, Highlanders have progressed to this season’s Chibuku Super Cup quarterfinals with a 2-1 triumph over a stubborn Mutare City Rovers at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
Bosso, beaten 4-3 on penalties by How Mine in last season’s first round needed some bit of luck and a veteran striker’s contribution to overpower Gusha Bhora who appeared content with taking the contest to the penalty shootout. Highlanders opened the scoring during the first half referee’s optional time, Mutare City Rovers defender Munyaradzi Sako deflecting a cross from Prince Dube past his own goalkeeper Philip Nhete.
Mutare City however refused to back down and equalised two minute after the break, Agrippa Murimba taking advantage of a blunder by Highlanders left back Honest Moyo to beat Ariel Sibanda.
Highlanders turned to their super substitute, seasoned striker Ralph Matema who came in as a second half substitute for midfielder Allan Gahadzikwa in the 61st minute. Matema got the better of Nhete at the near post to send Bosso to the next round of the most lucrative club competition in the country at the moment. It was Matema’s third goal in as many matches coming in as a second half substitute. He had previously found the target off the bench in Bosso’s victories over Border Strikers and Dynamos.
The first half had been characterised by a lot of off the ball incidents as Bosso players who included their star defender Peter Muduhwa spent most of the time plucking objects from the Mutare City goal line which they believed to be “juju” that was preventing them from scoring. The Mutare City medic and a Highlanders protocol officer engaged in a scuffle which saw both of them being removed from the field of play. The medic kept sending water bottles to Nhete which did not go down well with Highlanders who seemed to be convinced that played a part in their failure to score.
With Sunday’s victory, Highlanders coach Erol Akbay who has already won the Zimbabwe National Army Commander’s Charities Shield and reached the Independence Cup final can keep alive his hopes of winning the Chibuku Super Cup as well as the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title.
On the same day, Bosso’s biggest rivals Dynamos were booted out by Bulawayo side How Mine who won 5-4 on penalties when the match ended 0-0 in 90 minutes. Triangle edged out defending league champions Chicken Inn 1-0 to also book their place in the last eight.
Tsholotsho posted the biggest shock in the first round when they defeated Caps United 5-4 on penalties on Saturday in an encounter which had concluded 1-1 in normal time. ZPC Kariba saw off Bulawayo 1-0, FC Platinum beat Chapungu 2-0, Ngezi Platinum clobbered Hwange 3-1 while the Chibuku Super Cup title holders Harare City drubbed Border Strikers 4-0.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for the weekend of 30 September through to 2 October with the last four fixtures set for 21 to 23 October and the final put down for 5 November.
Chibuku Super Cup round of 16 full results
Harare City 4 Border Strikers 0, FC Platinum 2 Chapungu 0, Ngezi Platinum 3 Hwange 1, Caps United 1 Tsholotsho (Tsholotsho won 5-4 on penalties), ZPC Kariba 1 Bulawayo City 0, Highlanders 2 Mutare City 1, Dynamos 0 How Mine 0 (How Mine won 5-4 on penalties), Triangle 1 Chicken Inn 0
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