Akbay willing to take chances

Premier Soccer League giants Highlanders coach Erol Akbay is willing to concede a lot of goals as long as his team can score more.

The Dutchman saw his side win 3-2 over ZPC Kariba at the weekend with goals from Allen Gahadzikwa, Godfrey Makaruse and striker Prince Dube.

He admitted yesterday that he prioritises attack over defence when setting out his charges.

"When you go into attack, you leave a lot of space between the midfielders and the defence and that is obvious.

"We take chances; we play with risk and get three or four chances and they (ZPC Kariba) got three or four chances. If you don't play with risk, then you cannot score," Akbay said.

Highlanders have played their first three matches at home and travel to Beitbridge tomorrow where they clash with Tsholotsho, who are undefeated after playing four draws so far.

Akbay emphasised that he is not a coach who is worried much about defence if he is going to get the goals.

"Sometimes people wonder why Simon Munawa is in there. It's the same with Rahman Kutsanzira. These are the two guys that bring balance to the team, especially in the building-up and in defending. Kutsanzira is better on defence than Munawa, who is better in attack. You cannot play with 11 (Lionel) Messis in the game; you need someone to work for Messi. I am not a coach who is worried about defence. I think about attack. I want to score. If you are a player and defend very well, I don't care. That is why I have midfielders who score goals just like the strikers," he said.