News / Local
Bosso turn focus on Dembare game
09 Apr 2023 at 12:09hrs | Views
AFTER seeing his charges squander a number of clear-cut chances in their derby against Chicken Inn, Highlanders Football Club coach Baltemar Brito is turning his focus on the epic encounter against Dynamos.
The Bulawayo giants, who played a goalless draw against Chicken Inn on Good Friday at Barbourfields Stadium will play host to Dynamos on Saturday, three days before the two face off again in Independence Cup celebrations in Mount Darwin.
Disappointed that his charges were wasteful against Chicken Inn especially in the first-half where striker Lynoth Chikuhwa twice hit the upright after beating the Gamecocks goalie Donovan Bernard, Brito felt that the draw was a fair result.
Bosso started the derby on fire, with their playmaker Devine Mhindirira threading a defence-splitting pass to Chikuhwa in the first minute and the striker hit the far post having beaten Bernard.
Minutes later, Chikuhwa missed the penalty as he hit the same post with Bernard sent the wrong way.
The resultant penalty came after Bosso striker Stanley Ngala was brought down inside the box. Surprisingly, Highlanders goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda who usually takes penalties for his team stayed put at his goal area and watched Chikuhwa miss the spot kick.
Highlanders enjoyed first-half dominance which they failed to turn into goals, with Mhindirira shining in the middle of the park, ably supported by Darlington Mukuli and Melikhaya Ncube, while wingbacks Andrew Mbeba and Archiford Faira occasionally overlapped to add numbers to their attacks which came to naught.
Chicken Inn came stronger in the second-half, with veteran Tafadzwa Kutinyu dictating pace in the midfield, while Soccer Star of the Year finalist Brian Muza kept Highlanders' central defenders Peter Muduhwa and Mbongeni Ndlovu on their toes.
Chicken Inn found Sibanda resolute in Highlanders' last line of defence. In his post-match interview, Brito said: "The first-half was one kind of performance and the second one was different. In the end I think the draw was a fair result. I think Chicken Inn didn't have clear opportunities like we had in the first-half."
"We're not happy at all that we dropped points, we know that local derbies have too many emotions and are not easy. Our team in the second-half didn't compete like they did in the first-half. They started to split too much, waiting for the long ball and it gave Chicken Inn more time with the ball. Life goes on, we've Dynamos next week Saturday so we should change our focus and prepare for that game."
The draw left Highlanders still unbeaten after four games with eight points, two points behind leaders Caps United who beat Black Rhinos 2-0 on Good Friday. Chicken Inn's gaffer Prince Matore was equally unhappy that his team dropped points.
"We've always said that we need to collect maximum points at our home matches, these are two crucial points dropped today.
"In the first-half our movement wasn't what we wanted, our transitions were not what we wanted, and they were rushing everything. Second half, we rectified those things and it was a better second-half," Matore said.
Chicken Inn's next assignment is another derby against Bulawayo Chiefs who were beaten 2-1 by FC Platinum.
The Bulawayo giants, who played a goalless draw against Chicken Inn on Good Friday at Barbourfields Stadium will play host to Dynamos on Saturday, three days before the two face off again in Independence Cup celebrations in Mount Darwin.
Disappointed that his charges were wasteful against Chicken Inn especially in the first-half where striker Lynoth Chikuhwa twice hit the upright after beating the Gamecocks goalie Donovan Bernard, Brito felt that the draw was a fair result.
Bosso started the derby on fire, with their playmaker Devine Mhindirira threading a defence-splitting pass to Chikuhwa in the first minute and the striker hit the far post having beaten Bernard.
Minutes later, Chikuhwa missed the penalty as he hit the same post with Bernard sent the wrong way.
The resultant penalty came after Bosso striker Stanley Ngala was brought down inside the box. Surprisingly, Highlanders goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda who usually takes penalties for his team stayed put at his goal area and watched Chikuhwa miss the spot kick.
Highlanders enjoyed first-half dominance which they failed to turn into goals, with Mhindirira shining in the middle of the park, ably supported by Darlington Mukuli and Melikhaya Ncube, while wingbacks Andrew Mbeba and Archiford Faira occasionally overlapped to add numbers to their attacks which came to naught.
Chicken Inn found Sibanda resolute in Highlanders' last line of defence. In his post-match interview, Brito said: "The first-half was one kind of performance and the second one was different. In the end I think the draw was a fair result. I think Chicken Inn didn't have clear opportunities like we had in the first-half."
"We're not happy at all that we dropped points, we know that local derbies have too many emotions and are not easy. Our team in the second-half didn't compete like they did in the first-half. They started to split too much, waiting for the long ball and it gave Chicken Inn more time with the ball. Life goes on, we've Dynamos next week Saturday so we should change our focus and prepare for that game."
The draw left Highlanders still unbeaten after four games with eight points, two points behind leaders Caps United who beat Black Rhinos 2-0 on Good Friday. Chicken Inn's gaffer Prince Matore was equally unhappy that his team dropped points.
"We've always said that we need to collect maximum points at our home matches, these are two crucial points dropped today.
"In the first-half our movement wasn't what we wanted, our transitions were not what we wanted, and they were rushing everything. Second half, we rectified those things and it was a better second-half," Matore said.
Chicken Inn's next assignment is another derby against Bulawayo Chiefs who were beaten 2-1 by FC Platinum.
Source - The Sunday News
