The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS players have an extra incentive to collect three points against Cranborne Bullets when the two teams collide at Barbourfields Stadium this afternoon as US$200 awaits each of them from the club’s principal sponsors, Sakunda Holdings.
Nqobile Magwizi, the Sakunda Holdings project co-ordinator told our sister publication Herald that the energy giant will pay the players a US$200 once-off cash bonus should they overcome Cranborne Bullets this afternoon. The same incentive was on offer for Dynamos players when they took on Ngezi Platinum Stars at Baobab Stadium yesterday.
Nqobile Magwizi
“Sakunda Holdings, being the principal sponsors of Dynamos and Highlanders Football Clubs and valuing the importance of the Independence Cup, will be giving incentives to players from the two clubs ahead of their clash in the Independence Cup on 18 April. Each player will get a once-off payment of US$200 for winning this weekend’s premiership matches,’’ said Magwizi.
The incentives will certainly motivate players from the two giants of Zimbabwean football before they collide at Barbourfields Stadium on Independence Day in a match to be watched live by President Mnangagwa.
Highlanders, who had a sluggish start to their league campaign have been slowly picking up the pieces as they have now gone for five matches without tasting defeat. In those five matches, Amahlolanyama have recorded two wins and three draws.
Bosso coach, Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu, who only collected four points from the first five league matches is pleased with his team’s progress since they managed nine from their last five fixtures.
“We conceded one goal in five games, scored eight, it’s just a great improvement, as much as we could have done better especially in those three draws that we got. If we look at our first five games, we had four points, then five games we have got nine, I think it’s a great improvement,’’ Mpofu said.
On their opponents this afternoon, Mpofu feels they even though they are in the relegation zone, they cannot be taken lightly. Cranborne Bullets defeated Whawha 3-2 before they saw off Bulawayo City 2-0 last Saturday.
“Looking at the last few games, they have won two games in a row and it’s a good sign that they are a team that can come and want to fight. They are a team that wants to avoid relegation. We can’t undermine them, we can’t we can’t take them lightly, they can come and upset us, so it’s not going to be an easy game but we will prepare very well,’’ reckoned Mpofu.
The talking point for Bosso is their failure to win away from home, something they last achieved in July 2018 when they defeated Triangle 1-0 at Gibbo. Mpofu believes that the win is not far from finally coming.
“We are working round the clock to make sure that we get our first set of points away, we are working so hard. I am very much impressed especially in terms of the performance when we played Caps away from home where we came from behind, that’s a good sign that we still have a good team. Again away to Triangle, where I thought we could have wrapped that game in the first half, five, six, seven opportunities that I thought on a good day we could have finished them,’’ he said.
Mpofu pointed out that while the wins on the road were elusive, Bosso’s desire is to make life hard for away teams to win at Barbourfields.
“We are not losing hope, we are not losing any sleep. I think it’s work in progress and it’s a matter of time before we collect those points away from home. I am hopeful, the boys are hopeful, we are having a good patch and we want to continue playing well as a team and come Sunday, we still be having that philosophy and we want to make Barbourfields a fortress, we want to make sure that any team that comes to Barbourfields must feel the heat,’’ Mpofu said.
Ahead of the clash with Cranborne, Highlanders were sweating over the availability of defensive midfielder Nqobizitha Masuku who picked up an ankle injury against Triangle. Masuku has been outstanding for Highlanders this season and is the Bosso goal scorer with five goals, three of those strikes delivered from free kicks. — Follow on Twitter @Mdawini_29
