Bosso loses invincibility at BF?

TO the huge Highlanders following Barbourfields was some kind of a battlefield where they came to cheer their warriors as they traditionally annihilated their opponents.

BF has always been the arena that visiting teams approached with trepidation and fear. Most teams would be defeated even before they entered the field of play because of the intimidating atmosphere at the ground and the work rate Bosso players put in when playing in front of their demanding and passionate fans.

Emagumeni, as the venue is affectionately known has always been nerve wrecking for most visiting teams and losing there was something that many accepted as norm. Many would not dream of winning at the venue, a task they always regarded as daunting.

The fans would cow the opposition into fear, ensuring they did not reach full potential with their chants and taunts while lifting the spirits of the black and white army and urging them on to ensure a delivery of the "routine''  victory.

However, fast forward to the current 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season and tables seem to have turned with Highlanders' supporters approaching the stadium with apprehension, worry and uneasiness, a sizable number have actually turned their backs on Barbourfields as the team has flattered to deceive at their fabled "slaughter house" and their team now being the "sacrificial lambs'' at BF.

Highlanders' game has not been convincing since the league kicked off in late March and although they won their first game at Barbourfields, being the away team against Tsholotsho FC, there was great tension among the club's supporters as the team's play failed to inspire any confidence as Tsholotsho was a constant menace posing a threat of cancelling out Teenage Hadebe's 34th minute speculative strike.

Against Hwange, their second game at BF this season, it was the same story with another defender, Webster Chingodza having to come to the rescue of the Bulawayo football giants with a goal in the 43rd minute.

Although happy with the wins, the fans always felt the team was not well oiled and improvements were needed. And took air force side Chapungu to silence the Soweto Choir before Caps United also did the same on similar 1-0 scorelines.

Last Sunday, Highlanders were on the verge of being handed another humiliation at Emagumeni by Harare City before striker, Gabriel Nyoni stepped up to convert a penalty in the dying minutes of injury time to cancel out Stephen Makatuka first half goal.

Under Bongani Mafu, Highlanders has been struggling to find rhythm, with goals being elusive and the players' celebration of an equaliser was taken by some to mean they were not hungry enough for success as a draw was considered as good as a defeat at Barboufields. Former Highlanders forward, Zenzo Moyo said something was amiss in the Highlanders family adding fans had every right to be worried.

Moyo said Highlanders had over the years built a reputation of producing inspiring performances at BF and the current poor form the team was going through was certainly unacceptable to supporters.

"I think when a child usually takes number one in class and then in another term he goes to position five, his parents sit down with the teacher and find out what is wrong, why the boy did not match his usual performance. It is the same with Highlanders, supporters are used to exhilarating performances at Barbourfields but recent results are not impressive hence the need to investigate the issue and come up with a solution," said Moyo.

Moyo, who won the league with Highlanders in the 1998-1999 and 2000 seasons, said during their days they began being psyched up for a Sunday match on a Thursday with the atmosphere in the city motivating them to be at their best.

He said playing at BF was also a motivating factor in itself and the fans gave them an air of invincibility as they knew nothing but a win was acceptable in front of fans.

"Highlanders supporters would not settle for anything but a win at BF and we went all out to get those wins. They (fans) pushed us, encouraged us and motivated us a lot. If the visiting team was to score first, instead of being deflated, we would be spurred on and we would take the fight to them and come out on top because we did not want to disappoint our supporters," said Moyo, the 2000 Soccer Star of the Year.

It was unheard of that Highlanders would go into a match at BF as an underdog even if they were the away team, said Moyo ahead of yesterday's PSL match against city neighbours, Chicken Inn.

Moyo felt what was lacking at Bosso was a star player who could carry the team on his shoulders and change the complexion of any match.

"We used to have players like Siza Khoza, Richard Choruma, Charles Chilufya and Johannes Ngodzo among others who could change the game and swing it in favour of Highlanders on any other day and decide the match and I believe this type of player is what is lacking at the moment," he said.