Leaky defence worries Kaindu

HIGHLANDERS coach Kelvin Kaindu says their biggest letdown of late has been their defence which has been conceding “soft” goals.

Bosso have conceded 25 goals after 28 games this season compared to the 22 they were scored the whole of last season.

In their last five games, Bosso has conceded six while scoring four.

Kaindu has failed to field his preferred back four week in, week out owing to either injuries and suspension of players.

As it is, left back Archford Faira is out injured and his place has been filled by Godfrey Makaruse who has had his own share of injuries this season and was even limping after the FC Platinum game.

Andrew Mbeba has been out of the squad for a lengthy spell due to an in-house suspension and it seems to have not helped the team.

Kaindu has used all his three goalkeepers this season, Ariel Sibanda, Raphael Pitisi and Reward Muza but the clean sheets have been few.

Bosso have 11 clean sheets this season.

Under Portuguese coach Baltemar Brito, Bosso had a mean defence but had trouble finding the net.

Brito got criticism for being too defensive and playing boring football leading to Bosso bringing in Kaindu who has managed to get the team scoring but his problem now is the leakages at the back.

After his side lost 1-0 to former champions FC Platinum at the weekend, Kaindu admitted his team was not doing well in defence.

“Our biggest challenge has been our defending. Probably against FC Platinum it was the only game we have not scored but we did not defend well. The goal that was scored, I felt we had enough bodies in the box where we could have managed to defend but we couldn’t. It is a little bit of a concern.

“If you look at the games that we have won, we have given away easy goals. Against Platinum we gave away a soft goal. It’s the ability to defend consistently that we need to work on,” said Kaindu.

The defeat against FC Platinum meant the former champions completed a double over Bosso whom they beat 2-0 in the first leg. Highlanders are fifth on the log standings with 38 points.

Log leaders Ngezi Platinum are on 57.

Meanwhile, Bosso will tomorrow appear before the Premier Soccer League (PSL) disciplinary committee on allegations of breaching the Chibuku Super Cup rules and regulations in their abandoned Chibuku Super Cup game against Simba Bhora at Wadzanayi Stadium on September 22.

The match was abandoned after 79 minutes as Bosso refused to take the penalty decision.
Television replays showed that the incident happened outside the box and it is debatable if in the first place Tinashe Balakasi was fouled by Muduhwa. – @innocentskizoe