Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
Bulawayo Chiefs 0 -1 Highlanders
IT wasn’t the best of performances, but Highlanders kicked off their defence of the Chibuku Super Cup with a slender victory against Bulawayo Chiefs by picking maximum points in their Group B match.
Playing in a strange atmosphere with no fans, both sides adapted well to the new normal and occasionally showed flashes of brilliance in between.
Bosso scored the solitary goal through new boy Washington Navaya, who ghosted in from the blind side to head home a good cross from Divine Mhindirira from the left side in the 42nd minute.
The win put Bosso in second place, tied on three points with Group B leaders Chicken Inn, who beat Bulawayo City 2-0 on Saturday.
Bosso skipper Nqobizitha Masuku, who had a good game playing as a twin defensive midfielder alongside Adrian Silla, was happy with the result and said they need to improve in their next assignment against Chicken Inn.
“We are happy to get three points in the first game. As defending champions, we had a good start and we’re proud of that. Obviously, we didn’t play very well although we started off brightly. We created chances, but fell short in the final third. Our decision making wasn’t that good but we are happy to take the three points,” said Masuku.
“Next, we face Chicken Inn and these games being derbies mean we should always bring our A-game. I think we know where we fell short. We’ll try to rectify all the mistakes in training, improve in areas we didn’t do well today and maintain what we did well. What is key is that we avoided defeat because it would have been difficult to rise,” he said.
Unlike Chiefs, who started with two strikers upfront, Farau Matare and Fredrick Muza, Bosso had only one forward Navaya, who kept the defence on its feet.
Highlanders fielded five midfielders, Masuku, Silla, Mhindirira, Ray Lunga and Godfrey Makaruse.
Highlanders’ coach Mandla Mpofu thrust in two new signings, Andrew Tandi and Crispen Ncube, in defence, joining Andrew Mbeba and Mbongeni Ndlovu while a jittery Future Sibanda started in goal ahead of Ariel Sibanda.
Future was the busier of the two goalkeepers as Chiefs’ David Bizabani was rarely troubled.
Bizabani was called into action in the 21st minute, pulling off a classic save to deny Lunga in a one-on-one situation.
Realising that the Bosso goalkeeper was struggling with crosses, Chiefs resorted to plenty of crosses and, with a bit of luck, could have scored at least three goals in the second-half.
A 57th minute cross by Gift Gumbo from the left side just needed a tap-in by Matare, but he shockingly missed a yawning goal.
Chiefs’ skipper Marlvin Mkolo twice rose high above the Bosso defence to connect crosses with good header, first missing the target by a few centimeters and then being denied by the upright.
The introduction of Ghanaian midfielder Samuel Antwi and attacker Hughe Chikosa for Fredrick Muza and Desire Shumbanhete at the start of the second half saw Chiefs seizing control of the match and creating more scoring opportunities, which they failed to utilise.
It allowed centre-back Mkolo to occasionally overlap and assist in attack while playmaker Arthur Musiyiwa proved to be a thorn in the flesh for Bosso in midfield.
Chiefs’ left-back Gift Gumpo also joined in attack and initiated most raids from the back but all their effort came to naught as Bosso held on.
Chiefs face Bulawayo City in their next game.
Mpofu admitted that Chiefs were the better side and praised his charges for grinding a result.
“I’m happy we got off to a good start against a brilliant Chiefs side that could have scored two or three goals. I’m happy with how my players applied themselves today and I think the guys missing will find it difficult to break into the team because these boys gave it their all,” said Mpofu.
Chiefs coach Thulani Sibanda said: “In the first-half we gave them too much respect. We didn’t play our normal game, we didn’t pass it around, we didn’t have depth, we didn’t have width and it cost us. In the second-half we applied ourselves well but it was already late because Highlanders were sitting at the back.”
Teams
Bulawayo Chiefs: David Bizabani, Phelius Sibanda (Isaac Badu 77th minute), Gift Gumbo, Marlvin Mkolo, Ben Nyahunzwi, Joe Nyabinde, Lucky Ndlela (Billy Veremu 74th minute), Desire Shumbanhete (Samuel Antwi 46th minute), Arthur Musiyiwa, Fredrick Muza (Hughe Chikosa 46th minute), Farawu Matare
Highlanders: Future Sibanda, Crispen Ncube, Mbongeni Ndlovu, Andrew Tandi, Andrew Mbeba, Nqobizitha Masuku, Adrian Silla, Divine Mhindirira, Ray Lunga (Bukhosi Sibanda 89th minute), Godfrey Makaruse (Toto Banda 70th minute), Washington Navaya (Muziwethu Dhlamini 89th minute)— @ZililoR
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