Sports / Local
Bosso keep their title hopes alive
25 Aug 2014 at 08:27hrs | Views
FC Platinum 0 - 1 Highlanders
CHARLES Sibanda was on target again yesterday as Highlanders continued their dominance over FC Platinum with a narrow win in a thriller at Mandava.
The win saw Bosso keep their title hopes alive as they remained on second position of the table with 38 points. They trail champions Dynamos by a point after the Glamour Boys registered an away win in Triangle.
A second minute strike from the boot of former FC Platinum midfielder Sibanda was all the visitors needed to keep a happy face on the Bosso faithfuls and coach Kelvin Kaindu who was under pressure for positive results recently.
An alert Highlanders striker Njabulo Ncube robbed his former teammates Aaron Katebe and Daniel Veremu in a defensive mix-up and sent an inch-perfect pass to Sibanda, whose first time shot waltzed past diving goalkeeper Francis Tizayi to take his season's tally to 12 goals in the league.
"I was happy to punish my former teammates. I know their play was centred on me as I was tightly marked. I am not a natural striker but I managed to score past them despite being tightly marked.
"After the goal they failed to play their normal game as they were pumping the ball forward," said Sibanda.
Rahman Kutsanzira could have put the score beyond the platinum miners' reach in the 23rd minute.
Former FC Platinum midfielder Joel Ngodzo shook off his markers on the left side and sent an inviting cross in the box and with no green and white shirt in the box Kutsanzira chose to be stylish with his header, directing it to the terraces.
After the miss, FC Platinum could have equalised in the 42nd minute but the ball hit the upright and the rebound found no taker allowing the Bosso defence to clear.
Then leftback Qadr Amin blasted a corner by Raymond Sibanda from the right to the terraces with the Bosso defence at sixes and sevens after the interval.
Youthful forward Walter Musona, who received a rare start from coach Norman Mapeza, was the next to miss.
Super substitute Benjamin Marere won the ball on the right and sent an inch perfect pass to Musona but the young man, with the Bosso defence nowhere in sight, blasted his effort into the sky.
Musona was to miss again in the 87th minute when he shook off his markers and with the goalkeeper at his mercy he again sent his effort wide.
He nearly got it right in the 89th minute when he went past Kutsanzira. He let go a bullet but found Ariel Sibanda at his best as he blocked his effort allowing the Highlanders defence to clear.
Mapeza had faced lightweights in Black Rhinos and Bantu Rovers since taking over from Lloyd Mutasa recently but yesterday it was a mammoth task as he faced the former Zimbabwe champions.
The two teams had met six times since 2011 with Bosso winning four times and Kugona Kunenge Kudada recording only one win in their own backyard, and drawing once two months ago at Emagumeni in a 1-1 stalemate.
Mapeza, despite the defeat, still wore a brave face.
"It happens in football. I am proud of the boys but it was not our day. We created chances and if you don't score goals you will get punished.
"They came with positive minds just like us but it was not just our day and we still have more games to play and we will take each game as it comes," said the soft-spoken coach.
Highlanders managed to shut out the supply of Thabani Kamusoko. Michelle Katsvairo was also not at his best and the regular scorer Obrey Chirwa was forceful when he was introduced but was not passing the ball.
FC Platinum missed the services of Donald Ngoma, James Marufu (suspension) Allan Gahadzikwa and Marshall Mudehwe who are both injured.
"My team showed character. We had a great save by Ariel (Sibanda). The league is still very competitive and the race is still open," said Kaindu
Teams
FC Platinum
F Tizayi, I Nekati, A Katebe, Q Amin, D Veremu(K Moyo 52nd ),S Shoko,T Kamusoko,M Katsvairo(B Marere 63rd ),A Mukwena(O Chirwa 73rd ),W Musona ,R Sibanda.
Highlanders
A Sibanda, R Kutsanzira (K Machazani 54th ), B Kangwa,C Sibanda, J Ngodzo, I Mapuranga,H Madzivanyika,F Chindungwe,D Ndlovu,E Mudzingwa,N Ncube,(V Ndaba 73rd)
CHARLES Sibanda was on target again yesterday as Highlanders continued their dominance over FC Platinum with a narrow win in a thriller at Mandava.
The win saw Bosso keep their title hopes alive as they remained on second position of the table with 38 points. They trail champions Dynamos by a point after the Glamour Boys registered an away win in Triangle.
A second minute strike from the boot of former FC Platinum midfielder Sibanda was all the visitors needed to keep a happy face on the Bosso faithfuls and coach Kelvin Kaindu who was under pressure for positive results recently.
An alert Highlanders striker Njabulo Ncube robbed his former teammates Aaron Katebe and Daniel Veremu in a defensive mix-up and sent an inch-perfect pass to Sibanda, whose first time shot waltzed past diving goalkeeper Francis Tizayi to take his season's tally to 12 goals in the league.
"I was happy to punish my former teammates. I know their play was centred on me as I was tightly marked. I am not a natural striker but I managed to score past them despite being tightly marked.
"After the goal they failed to play their normal game as they were pumping the ball forward," said Sibanda.
Rahman Kutsanzira could have put the score beyond the platinum miners' reach in the 23rd minute.
Former FC Platinum midfielder Joel Ngodzo shook off his markers on the left side and sent an inviting cross in the box and with no green and white shirt in the box Kutsanzira chose to be stylish with his header, directing it to the terraces.
After the miss, FC Platinum could have equalised in the 42nd minute but the ball hit the upright and the rebound found no taker allowing the Bosso defence to clear.
Then leftback Qadr Amin blasted a corner by Raymond Sibanda from the right to the terraces with the Bosso defence at sixes and sevens after the interval.
Youthful forward Walter Musona, who received a rare start from coach Norman Mapeza, was the next to miss.
Super substitute Benjamin Marere won the ball on the right and sent an inch perfect pass to Musona but the young man, with the Bosso defence nowhere in sight, blasted his effort into the sky.
Musona was to miss again in the 87th minute when he shook off his markers and with the goalkeeper at his mercy he again sent his effort wide.
He nearly got it right in the 89th minute when he went past Kutsanzira. He let go a bullet but found Ariel Sibanda at his best as he blocked his effort allowing the Highlanders defence to clear.
Mapeza had faced lightweights in Black Rhinos and Bantu Rovers since taking over from Lloyd Mutasa recently but yesterday it was a mammoth task as he faced the former Zimbabwe champions.
The two teams had met six times since 2011 with Bosso winning four times and Kugona Kunenge Kudada recording only one win in their own backyard, and drawing once two months ago at Emagumeni in a 1-1 stalemate.
Mapeza, despite the defeat, still wore a brave face.
"It happens in football. I am proud of the boys but it was not our day. We created chances and if you don't score goals you will get punished.
"They came with positive minds just like us but it was not just our day and we still have more games to play and we will take each game as it comes," said the soft-spoken coach.
Highlanders managed to shut out the supply of Thabani Kamusoko. Michelle Katsvairo was also not at his best and the regular scorer Obrey Chirwa was forceful when he was introduced but was not passing the ball.
FC Platinum missed the services of Donald Ngoma, James Marufu (suspension) Allan Gahadzikwa and Marshall Mudehwe who are both injured.
"My team showed character. We had a great save by Ariel (Sibanda). The league is still very competitive and the race is still open," said Kaindu
Teams
FC Platinum
F Tizayi, I Nekati, A Katebe, Q Amin, D Veremu(K Moyo 52nd ),S Shoko,T Kamusoko,M Katsvairo(B Marere 63rd ),A Mukwena(O Chirwa 73rd ),W Musona ,R Sibanda.
Highlanders
A Sibanda, R Kutsanzira (K Machazani 54th ), B Kangwa,C Sibanda, J Ngodzo, I Mapuranga,H Madzivanyika,F Chindungwe,D Ndlovu,E Mudzingwa,N Ncube,(V Ndaba 73rd)
Source - chronicle
