The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Reporter
Bantu Rovers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(1) 1
Highlanders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 2
HIGHLANDERS stayed within shouting distance of the leading pack after edging Bantu Rovers in a scrappy Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Highlanders coach Erol Akbay made five changes from his regular starting eleven, giving Congolese Tabwe Kalunga his debut with Yves Esisa Ebabali playing his second match. Fringe players, King Nadolo, Gabriel Nyoni and Ralp Matema were given a run in the starting line-up.
But both teams failed to rise to the occasion at the start of the game with players guilty of stray passes. However, it was Rovers who seemed to be more determined to unsettle their more illustrious opponents and they were duly rewarded in the 10th minute when Peter Muduhwa beat his flat footed goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda on the near post in a bid to clear a cross from marauding Obriel Chirinda.
Sensing danger Bosso picked up the tempo of their game and got the equaliser four minutes later through impressive midfielder Nadolo. Ebabali flighted a corner kick from the right and veteran Matema ghosted behind the Rovers defence line but his goal bound ball was punched back into play by the home side’s goalie Notice Dube only to fall onto the path of Nadolo who scrambled it over the line despite a futile attempt to keep it in play by Dube.
In the 19th minute Matema out jumped the Rovers defence again but his header was punched into play by Dube, with the ball falling kindly to Nadolo, but the pencil slim midfielder skied his first time volley over the bar.
Thereafter play swung from one side to another. In the 33rd minute Rovers’ diminutive and hard running forward Chirinda was shown a yellow card by referee Nkosana Nduna for remonstration against the first assistant after the match official had flagged him for being in an offside position.
In the 35th minute Kalunga made a spirited run towards Rovers’ goal and laid the ball to an on rushing Nyoni whose shot from outside the 18 yard box missed the upright by a whisker. Rovers could have felt robbed of a penalty in the additional minute of the first half after Bosso defender Mudhuwa appeared to have brought down Chirinda inside the box.
In the second half the Bantu technical team brought out Chirinda for former Hwange striker Newman Sianchali probably feeling that the temperamental player might be sent off.
However, it was Highlanders who looked more threatening as they searched for their second goal. In the 52th minute Matema skied his effort at the edge of the box after being set up by Tambwe.
In the 54th minute Bosso brought in youthful midfielder Brian Banda for speedy winger Nyoni in an effort to fortify its midfield and the move appeared to pay dividends as Banda and Nadolo seemed to take control of the proceedings in the middle of the park.
Bosso made another change pulling out Tambwe for Prince Dube in the 57th minute as they searched for a goal to wrap up the match.
The home side also made a change a minute later bringing in former Highlanders junior product McCarthy Dube for an out of sorts Gladman Bharibhari. Prince made his presence felt as he immediately kept the Dumisani “Fazo” Ndlovu marshaled Rovers’ defence on its toes.
In the 64th minute Matema jumped to flick a long clearance from the back with his head onto the path of Prince and the young Bosso forward outpaced Rovers’ last man Munyaradzi Chitambwe to chip the ball over an outdrawn Dube. It was Prince’s fourth goal of the season. Ebabali made the miss of the day in the 76th minute when he sent his effort over the bar after being put through by Prince.
Akbay felt his side wasted numerous chances but said he was content with the three points.
“I feel we conceded a soft goal because of the miscommunication between our keeper and the defender. We had to score more goals than we did but all that it’s important is that we managed to gain three points. In our game on Thursday I might also contemplate giving the fringe players another run because they gave everything they had,” he said.
Rovers team manager Agent Sawu heaped praise on his team saying the players managed to give their best and all the goals they conceded were due to lapse of concentration at the back.
Teams
Bantu Rovers: N Dube, K Dzingwe, J Nsingo, M Chitambwe, D Ndlovu, S Nyahwa, L Ndlela, B Ncube, G Bharibhari (M Dube 58th), M Kutsanzira (M Ncube 70th), O Chirinda (N Sianchali 46th)
Highlanders: A. Sibanda, B Ncube, K Nadolo (A Silla 68th), T Kalungwa (P Dube 57th), Y Ebabali, P Mudhuwa, T Ngulube, H Moyo, G Nyoni (B Banda 54th), B Phiri
Results
Yesterday
Bantu Rovers 1-2 Highlanders, Tsholotsho 1-2 Bulawayo City, FC Platinum 2-0 Yadah, Chapungu 1-0 Harare City
Fixtures
Today: Ngezi Platinum Stars v ZPC Kariba (Baobab), Dynamos v Shabanie (National Sports Stadium), Triangle v How Mine (Gibbo), Black Rhinos v Hwange (Morris Depot)
— @DNsingo
