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The Bulawayo giants who are financially distressed have in the previous seasons seen the number of fans who attend their matches dwindling but their current form has caused those who stayed home to return to cheer their team once again.
According to the Highlanders treasurer Odiel Nkomo, they had a 36 percent increase in terms of spectators who turned up for their 3-0 demolition of Monomotapa at Barbourfields Stadium.
In their first match of the season where Highlanders beat Blue Rangers, 4 000 people paid to watch that encounter and the number increased to 5 100 when they beat Hardbody 5-3.
After their 3-1 wins against FC Platinum and Black Mambas, the hype to watch Bosso intensified with followers beginning to sniff the return of glory days to the club that last won the league title in 2006.
Despite the increase in attendance, Highlanders who rely on gate charges and BancABC, lost almost $12 000 to service providers on Sunday and only remained with $8 950.
Nkomo appealed to club benefactors and ex-players to develop a culture of paying so that they could raise funds to cover some of their expenses.
“The crowd is improving with every encounter and we hope to have more people paying in our coming games. We had 6 936 paying against Monomotapa with a majority coming from the rest of the ground. Only 109 people paid to watch from the VIP stand. The club needs money and we know that there are people who have helped the club before who can afford to pay to watch the games and we are appealing to them to please pay so that we get something for the club,” said Nkomo.
On Sunday Bosso continued with their perfect run that has seen them going for six games without tasting defeat.
The Bulawayo giants have amassed 16 points from a possible 18 having dropped two points last month in Mutare where they held Buffaloes to a 1-1 draw.
The attacking brand of football that Zambian expatriate Kelvin Kaindu has introduced to the team and the spirited performances by ambitious average Highlanders players has seen Bosso being one of the teams to beat this season.
In the match against Monomotapa, Highlanders dominated the first half with the visitors enjoying superior ball possession for the better part of the second half.
Milton Ncube who scored a hattrick in the first match of the season against Blue Rangers gave Bosso the lead in the 24th minute with a classic goal from outside the box that beat a drawn out Monomotapa goalkeeper Joram Muchambo.
Attacking midfielder Peter “Rio” Moyo doubled Highlanders’ lead in the 49th minute with a close range strike after Graham Ncube had sold a dummy which beat Monomotapa’s defenders leaving the former to beat a hapless Muchambo.
Graham put the final nail in Monomotapa’s coffin in the 57th minute when he exchanged passes with Moyo, then rounded Muchambo before scoring into an empty net.
Had Bosso been more composed upfront, they could have won the match by a bigger margin but Graham and Milton took turns to miss chances with Simon Munawa seeing his long range shot hitting the crossbar with Muchambo cleanly beaten.
Kaindu’s defenders Innocent Mapuranga, Eric Mudzingwa, Bruce Kangwa and Atlast Musasa did well to keep the visitors’ strikers Kuda Musharu and Tawanda Nyamandwe under lock and key.
Musasa was a marvel on the right, thwarting most raids involving former Under-20 player Russel Madamombe and Ronald Chitiyo. Madamombe was eventually pulled out in the 59th minute but even his replacement Makai Kawashu failed to go past a steady Musasa.
Musasa, the former Black Mambas and FC Windermere defender, was also involved in some of Highlanders’ attacks from the right flank and so was Kangwa on the left.
Bosso’s style of play won admiration from Monomotapa’s gaffer Taurai Mangwiro who said in his post match comments: “We came against a well-oiled machine. Credit goes to Highlanders because they were goal hungry.”
Highlanders’ coach was reluctant to talk about the championship saying his team was yet to reach its peak.
“It is too early to talk about the championship but we are in the race to compete. We are still building our team and the fact that we managed to keep a clean sheet is good for us,” Kaindu said.
While Bosso are celebrating their fine run, it is a different scenario across town where Chicken Inn suffered their first home defeat of the season, which happened to be their second in as many weeks.
Chicken Inn were beaten 1-0 by visiting army side Buffaloes.
The fastfoods outlets sponsored club are in sixth position on the log with 11 points from seven outings.
Chicken Inn are tied on points with seventh-placed Hwange, who beat Black Mambas 2-1 at the Colliery Stadium on Sunday.
Chipangano got their goals from Winston Mhango and Daniel Kamunhenga while former Dynamos striker Sebastian Mutizirwa got the consolation goal for the visitors.
Rahman Gumbo’s FC Platinum collected maximum points in the capital following their impressive 4-1 victory over Harare City.
Results
Saturday: Gunners 1, Blue Rangers 0; Chicken Inn 0, Buffaloes 1; Motor Action 1, Hardbody 0; Harare City 1, FC Platinum 4
Sunday: Highlanders 3, Monomotapa 0; Hwange 2, Black Mambas 1.
Online Reporter