'No going back for Bosso'

HIGHLANDERS skipper Felix Chindungwe says there is no going back for the Bulawayo giants after posting a confidence boosting win over Hwange at the Colliery Stadium on Sunday in their opening game of the Castle Lager Premiership season.

His coach Erol Akbay, while also happy with the emphatic win, however, said there was need to improve on the performance, saying the boys need to play exciting football.

"We expected to win but I'm a Dutch coach, I don't just want to win but I must do so with nice football. Our first half wasn't that good, but after our first goal, we played good football and that's what I want. Maybe the guys were nervous since it was the first game," said Akbay.

A brace from South Africa-bound Knox Mutizwa added to Bruce Kangwa's goal to ensure Bosso continued with their dominance over the coalminers, who shocked the multitudes of fans by collapsing in the last 13 minutes of the game.

On a weekend in which league champions Chicken Inn began their title defence with an equally devastating performance that blew away former champions Dynamos 3-0 at Barbourfields Stadium, Chindungwe said they were motivated by their city rivals' win when they ran out onto the Colliery pitch.

"We felt challenged that Bulawayo teams had all managed to pick some points and could therefore not afford to lose, worse still with what happened at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday. We just told ourselves to turn on the power and ensure our supporters were happy as well," said Chindungwe.

He said Hwange must have resigned themselves to a draw as time ticked away with the two teams still tied nil all.

"Our technical bench read the game well with their substitution in which they brought in young Prince Dube and Rahman Kutsanzira. The fresh pair of legs changed the tempo of our game and because Hwange's back four were always back peddling, we knew that it was now a matter of time before we broke them down, and break they did," said Chindungwe.

He said the win was now water under the bridge and their focus was on the next match against FC Platinum at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.

"Anything can happen in football, but we've told ourselves that there's no more going back from the Hwange win. As we start our training tomorrow (today), all focus will be on FC Platinum. We don't want to be blinded by the win over Hwange, it's water under the bridge," said Chindungwe.

Other Bulawayo-based teams How Mine and Bulawayo City settled for a 2-2 draw in the season opener at White City Stadium on Friday, while Tsholotsho narrowly lost 1-2 away to FC Platinum at Mandava Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Premier Soccer League has allayed any fears that Dynamos striker Rodrick Mutuma violated his suspension terms by playing for the Harare giants on Saturday.

Mutuma and former strike partner Takesure Chinyama were handed four-match suspensions for their violent behaviour in the Chibuku Super Cup final against Harare City last season.

"He has served his four-match suspension. The judgment said any PSL sanctioned matches or league matches and I can confirm that he finished his suspension on February 21. Friendly matches are also considered as long as they would've been sanctioned by the league," said PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele.