Disappointing Bosso held by Shooting Stars

Highlanders 1 -  1 Shooting Stars
Highlander coach Mkhuphali Masuku unleashed a youthful Highlanders side today against a less ambitious Jostein Mathuthu led Shooting Stars perched second from the bottom on the Log Standings and the young lads led by as cool as cucumber Innocent Mapuranga were full of energy reminiscent of youth full of exuberance as they ran rings against a clueless Shooting Stars who made it clear they were looking for a draw at Emagumeni.

Young Rahman Kutsanzira was was given the responsibility to captain the young side ahead of long serving Gilbert Banda who was benched after returning from injury and he did not disappoint converting an audacious freekick that eluded the Stars rearguard and their erratic glovesman Brown who spilled almost every ball shot at him.

Promising young prodigy Knox "Jome" Mutizwa was a revelation every time he got possession of the ball selling dummies to the Shooting Stars players that turned them into dumplings and yoyo's. The youngman plucked from the under 18s side showed that he is indeed a rough diamond ready to be cut into a shining jewel. With shear luck the boy could have had a hatrick to take with him home and the hearts of the hard to please Highlanders maltitudes of fans but the gods did not smile on him. Mutizwa's combination with former Ajax Hotspurs player Xolani Ncube and Graham Ncube was a joy to watch as they added pace to the skill and it did not come as a surprise when Mutizwa slalomed through the Stars defence cutting through it like a hot knife through butter and his powerful drive just sailed over Brown's horizontal bar.

A composure of a veteran from a school of excellence could have buried the chance on a good day but that was intention enough for the young man to announce his arrival in big time football. Mutizwa then created the real opportunity for Bosso when his weak and harmless looking shot hit the Stars defender on the hand for the referee to point to the spot. Up-stepped Bosso's leading scorer Graham Ncube who dispatched his spot-kick to the east and Brown dived in the right direction to puch the spot-kick back into play and there was no-one from Higlanders to take the second ball as Stars cleared their lines.

For the first time this season Bosso created a lot of chances as there was constant goal-mouth action but the boys had left their shooting boots at home. The goal finally came and it was the captain of the day Kutsanzira who buried it home past a bemused Brown and Kutsanzira ran the length of the pitch to embrace his gaffer in ecstasy.

Sensing danger and reading the game with an eagle eye Bulawayo born Jostein Mathuthu introduced veterans Elliot Matsika and Eddie Mashiri at the resumption of the second half and Shooting Stars began to play. Former Highlanders striker Francis Kanda could have given Stars an early equaliser in the second half as he went scampering through chipping the ball over Ariel Sibanda but evergreen Mapuranga cleared from the line with the Shooting Stars technical jerked off their seats in anticipation. However Highlanders still created a host of chances but their shooting was wayward. They paid dearly for that as at the dearth the old school came to haunt them with former Dynamos players Matsika and Mashiri conniving to deny Highlanders maximum points as Matsika pushed in a header at the back-post in the 90th minute to send Stars into a frenzy. Soon after that the fourth assistant signal a minute of optional time and the introduction of Gilbert Banda, Dube and Anold "Majaivana" Tshuma was a little too late to close shop and wrap up the game. Highlanders faint hopes of the championship were shattered but there were some positives drawn from their play.