The Sunday News
Don Makanyanga, Harare Bureau
Harare City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3) 3
Highlanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
HARARE City bowed out of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League with a bang after thumping Highlanders at the National Sports Stadium and ending the Bulawayo giants’ faint hopes of sneaking into the top four.
It was always going to be a tall order for Highlanders to end among the top four after they dropped two valuable points when being held 1-1 by ZPC Kariba at Barbourfields last Sunday. Their last visit to the capital two weeks ago for a Battle of Zimbabwe showdown with Dynamos had also yielded a 0-0 draw.
This meant that apart from having to win against Harare City, Bosso had been praying that Ngezi Platinum Stars slump to a rare defeat at Baobab to relegated WhaWha.
Highlanders Football Club
But Ngezi caretaker coach Takesure Chiragwi who had a string to finish to the season and made a huge statement about his credentials for a substantive appointment oversaw an emphatic 5-0 victory over WhaWha by the Mhondoro miners.
Yesterday’s results mean Highlanders would have to wait another season to end their long wait for a top-four finish. Bosso have not ended a season in the top four since 2016. Harare City arrived for their final Premiership encounter yesterday having already been relegated at the end of the Match Day 33 fixtures.
But they ensured they would still be competitive even in their final hour in the top-flight. A brace by 18-year Alexander Mandinyenya and Timothy January’s strike ensured that the Sunshine Boys recorded their third victory of the season at home.
The manner in which Harare City bossed off Highlanders would have left a neutral believing that it was the former side who were actually fighting for a top-four finish. Mandinyenya put the Sunshine Boys in front, four minutes into the game after he reacted quickly to tap in a rebound from Wilfred Muvirimi who had seen his shot ricochet off the woodwork.
Harare City
The hosts increased their lead in the 18th minute when January curled home from the edge the Highlanders penalty box on the right flank. Mandinyenya came back to haunt the Bulawayo giants again six minutes later when headed home a Dinoleen Masukuta cross. It was Mandinyenya’s first Premiership brace.
An out of sorts Bosso failed to create any meaningful chances in front of goal in the first half.
The Bulawayo giants returned from the break a much better side. But they still found some difficulty in breaking down the Harare City defence. It was not until the 87th minute that Stanley Ngala took advantage of a lapse in concentration by the hosts’ defenders to volley home from close range.
Baltermar Brito
Yesterday’s defeat seemed to have hurt Bosso coach, Baltemar Brito so much that he ducked the post-match press conference. Brito instead sent his assistant Antonio Torres, who had watched the game from the stands as he is not eligible to sit on the technical bench. Torres blamed his charges for taking a lackadaisical approach to the game.
“It was a game of two different halves, in the first half our players were not focused on the job they are supposed to do. It is not about top four but being proud in the battle and it did not show from our team the mentality was not there. The players have to respect the fans by giving it their all,” said Torres.
At Baobab, Delic Mulimba bagged his first quartet of goals in the Premiership with two goals in either half.
Tendai Matindife then put the icing on the comprehensive Ngezi win.
