Misfiring Bosso, DeMbare face off . . . Three games, no win, six points lost

MISFIRING soccer giants Highlanders and Dynamos failed to win their respective weekend matches, leaving a boring build-up to their Africa Day rearranged Castle Lager Premier Soccer League fixture.

The goal-shy giants are winless in three consecutive matches.

It is not the kind of record that the country’s most followed teams would want heading for the first leg of their 2023 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields stadium on Thursday.

The rescheduled Matchday 5 blockbuster fixture between the country’s traditional giants which had initially been penciled for April 15 was postponed to allow the teams to prepare for the Independence Cup final that Highlanders won 4-3 after penalty shootouts.

Despite going through some bad spells, the clash between the two giants is likely to be a full house.

With both teams hard-pressed to end their lengthy league championships droughts, it is Highlanders who have been grinding results while Dynamos’ fans have been agitated by their team’s on and off performances.

Highlanders, whose last league championship victory was in 2006 are under the guidance of expatriate Baltemar Brito with Dynamos under the tutelage of Herbert Jompano Maruwa.

The Dynamos gaffer who was engaged at the beginning of the season was part of Callisto Pasuwa’s backroom staff when they won four consecutive league titles from 2011-2014.

But their followers are running out of patience after seeing their teams going through a dry spell of results.

At the weekend, Highlanders, second on the table with 17 points from nine matches, were held to a 1-1 draw by Cranborne Bullets.

The good thing maybe for Highlanders is that they managed to score having played to two consecutive 0-0 draws against Sheasham and Simba Bhora before their trip to Cranborne Bullets.

Highlanders’ last victory was at home against Hwange who they laboured against to a 1-0 win.

To date, Bosso have scored seven goals in nine matches and it is their lack of goals that is worrisome.

They’ve blunt strikers, with coaches still trusting Lynoth Chikuhwa, their top scorer last season with 10 goals to score. Chikuhwa is yet to find the back of the net this season, while his other competitors upfront have scored four of their seven goals.

Calvin Chigonero has two goals while Stanley Ngala and Washington Navaya have one each.

Dynamos are not spared either from a bad run as, just like Highlanders, DeMbare have picked three out of a possible nine points in their last three games.

They head to Bulawayo coming from three successive goalless draws against Triangle United, Herentals and the weekend’s clash with Manica Diamonds.

DeMbare are in position eight with 14 points and can make a big leap into the top three if their strikers bring their scoring boots to Barbourfields and get a victory.

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League
Matchday 10 results
Friday: Yadah 1-0 Herentals College
Saturday: Greenfuel FC 1-0 Black Rhinos, FC Platinum 1-0 ZPC Kariba, Chicken Inn 2-0 Ngezi Platinum Stars, Cranborne Bullets 1-1 Highlanders
Sunday: Dynamos 0-0 Manica Diamonds, Sheasham v Caps United (Match not played), Hwange 0-0 Triangle United
Yesterday: Simba Bhora 1-1 Bulawayo Chiefs
— @ZililoR