Sports / Soccer
Bosso halfway to the top
19 Jul 2016 at 06:18hrs | Views
BULAWAYO giants Highlanders will want to avoid past occurrences when they failed to go all the way and lift the Castle Lager Premiership title despite topping the league table in mid-season.
Bosso returned to the top of the table on Sunday following their 1-0 win over title hopefuls Caps United, who went into that game topping the log. Caps United were relegated to third with 29 points from 15 games following Sunday's loss and trail Highlanders and FC Platinum by a point.
Highlanders are hard-pressed to shrug off their mid-season top spot "curse" this season without bringing in any big name signings.
This season's championship race is shaping out to be a four-team affair involving Highlanders, FC Platinum, Caps United and Dynamos.
Pressure could be mounting on Highlanders as they've been in similar positions three times in the previous five seasons, but the top prize has always eluded the Bulawayo giants.
In 2012 under present How Mine coach Kelvin Kaindu, Highlanders topped the table after 15 games with 33 points; three ahead of Dynamos who were second but went on to be crowned champions due to a superior goal difference to Bosso.
The following year, Bosso again found themselves on top, tied with Chicken Inn, but Dynamos, who were third, raced to the title on a superior goal difference.
The top spot "curse" continued for Bosso in 2014 as they squandered a three-point lead to allow Dynamos to grab a record equalling fourth consecutive title. Bosso finished a disappointing fifth, having choked to amass a paltry 15 points from 15 games.
Last year, Chicken Inn reached midseason at the top with 32 points, four ahead of second placed Triangle United and the Gamecocks never looked back to claim their maiden PSL title.
The question is whether Highlanders, who have failed to build on their mid-season lead three times previously, can get their formula correct this season.
Teams breathing down their neck FC Platinum and Caps United have some of the best players compared to Highlanders on paper and how they manage their personnel in the second half of the season will decide the course of the championship.
Dynamos are presently fourth with 25 points, five behind Bosso, but the Harare Glamour Boys cannot be ruled out of the race taking into account their strong finish in the first half of the season during which they've went on an unbeaten seven-game run, winning five and drawing twice.
Highlanders find themselves needing to figure out how they will replace the league's leading scorer with seven goals Bruce Kangwa, who left the country yesterday for trials at Tanzanian giants Azam.
Already, Bosso have struggled to find their rhythm in their last three games following the departure of Knox Mutizwa for Bidvest Wits in the South African Premiership. Mutizwa used to pile pressure on opposition defenders, giving room for young striker Prince Dube to shine.
Just like Mutizwa, most teams playing against Bosso centre their game plan on shutting out Kangwa, and with the latter leaving, it remains to be seen how Bosso's game plan will shift.
No doubt, Highlanders' strength has been their ability to sit back and launch quick counter attacks.
Highlanders will play eight matches in Bulawayo, while their road trips will be against Caps United, FC Platinum, Chapungu, Border Strikers, Harare City, ZPC Kariba and Triangle. All these are tricky encounters and even their City of Kings fixtures are tricky.
FC Platinum were hit by inconsistency towards the halfway mark and their coach Norman Mapeza needs to work on it for them to remain firmly in the title race.
The platinum miners' tricky away fixtures in the last half will be against Bulawayo City, Caps United, ZPC Kariba and Harare City.
Even their away games against Tsholotsho FC, Triangle, Chapungu and relegation favourites Border Striker can prove to be telling.
Dynamos, who bolstered their squad with midfielders Denver Mukamba, Simbarashe Gorogodyo and Wisdom Mutasa, need to find a goal poacher to complete their turnaround.
Dynamos will play nine of their last 15 matches in Harare and it is highly unlikely that the former champions, who seem to be correcting their early season's mistakes, will lose in the capital.
Their out of Harare fixtures are against ZPC Kariba, Border Strikers, Ngezi Platinum, Highlanders, FC Platinum and Triangle.
Bosso returned to the top of the table on Sunday following their 1-0 win over title hopefuls Caps United, who went into that game topping the log. Caps United were relegated to third with 29 points from 15 games following Sunday's loss and trail Highlanders and FC Platinum by a point.
Highlanders are hard-pressed to shrug off their mid-season top spot "curse" this season without bringing in any big name signings.
This season's championship race is shaping out to be a four-team affair involving Highlanders, FC Platinum, Caps United and Dynamos.
Pressure could be mounting on Highlanders as they've been in similar positions three times in the previous five seasons, but the top prize has always eluded the Bulawayo giants.
In 2012 under present How Mine coach Kelvin Kaindu, Highlanders topped the table after 15 games with 33 points; three ahead of Dynamos who were second but went on to be crowned champions due to a superior goal difference to Bosso.
The following year, Bosso again found themselves on top, tied with Chicken Inn, but Dynamos, who were third, raced to the title on a superior goal difference.
The top spot "curse" continued for Bosso in 2014 as they squandered a three-point lead to allow Dynamos to grab a record equalling fourth consecutive title. Bosso finished a disappointing fifth, having choked to amass a paltry 15 points from 15 games.
Last year, Chicken Inn reached midseason at the top with 32 points, four ahead of second placed Triangle United and the Gamecocks never looked back to claim their maiden PSL title.
The question is whether Highlanders, who have failed to build on their mid-season lead three times previously, can get their formula correct this season.
Teams breathing down their neck FC Platinum and Caps United have some of the best players compared to Highlanders on paper and how they manage their personnel in the second half of the season will decide the course of the championship.
Dynamos are presently fourth with 25 points, five behind Bosso, but the Harare Glamour Boys cannot be ruled out of the race taking into account their strong finish in the first half of the season during which they've went on an unbeaten seven-game run, winning five and drawing twice.
Highlanders find themselves needing to figure out how they will replace the league's leading scorer with seven goals Bruce Kangwa, who left the country yesterday for trials at Tanzanian giants Azam.
Already, Bosso have struggled to find their rhythm in their last three games following the departure of Knox Mutizwa for Bidvest Wits in the South African Premiership. Mutizwa used to pile pressure on opposition defenders, giving room for young striker Prince Dube to shine.
Just like Mutizwa, most teams playing against Bosso centre their game plan on shutting out Kangwa, and with the latter leaving, it remains to be seen how Bosso's game plan will shift.
No doubt, Highlanders' strength has been their ability to sit back and launch quick counter attacks.
Highlanders will play eight matches in Bulawayo, while their road trips will be against Caps United, FC Platinum, Chapungu, Border Strikers, Harare City, ZPC Kariba and Triangle. All these are tricky encounters and even their City of Kings fixtures are tricky.
FC Platinum were hit by inconsistency towards the halfway mark and their coach Norman Mapeza needs to work on it for them to remain firmly in the title race.
The platinum miners' tricky away fixtures in the last half will be against Bulawayo City, Caps United, ZPC Kariba and Harare City.
Even their away games against Tsholotsho FC, Triangle, Chapungu and relegation favourites Border Striker can prove to be telling.
Dynamos, who bolstered their squad with midfielders Denver Mukamba, Simbarashe Gorogodyo and Wisdom Mutasa, need to find a goal poacher to complete their turnaround.
Dynamos will play nine of their last 15 matches in Harare and it is highly unlikely that the former champions, who seem to be correcting their early season's mistakes, will lose in the capital.
Their out of Harare fixtures are against ZPC Kariba, Border Strikers, Ngezi Platinum, Highlanders, FC Platinum and Triangle.
Source - chronicle
