×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Bosso eye more silverware

Sport
Highlanders are eyeing their second piece of football silverware this year as they take on Caps United in the quarter-final of the 2011 edition of the $500 000 BancABC Sup8r Cup at Baghdad Stadium in Kwekwe on Sunday. Bosso lifted the 2011 Independence Trophy in April after beating perennial rivals Dynamos 4-3 in a penalty […]

Highlanders are eyeing their second piece of football silverware this year as they take on Caps United in the quarter-final of the 2011 edition of the $500 000 BancABC Sup8r Cup at Baghdad Stadium in Kwekwe on Sunday.

Bosso lifted the 2011 Independence Trophy in April after beating perennial rivals Dynamos 4-3 in a penalty shootout at the National Sports Stadium. Highlanders secretary Andrew Tapela said the Bulawayo giants were looking forward to the match in the Midlands and to landing yet more silverware in 2011.

“We already have one in the bag and rightfully so and we are looking forward to faring well in the BancABC competition. We have no complaints about playing in Kwekwe and to our supporters we are saying it’s game on, no retreat, no surrender,” Tapela said.

Following last year’s BancABC Sup8r Cup debacle which ended in the courtrooms and saw Highlanders chairman Themba Ndlela stepping down from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) management committee, Tapela said the past should be left behind.

“Well, last year was last year. We are mindful of what is going to happen this year. Let bygones be bygones. We are actually rallying behind the sponsors and we will assist in every way in promoting their mileage,” he said.

The 2011 BancABC Sup8r Cup was launched last Friday in Harare with indications that the preliminary stages of the tournament would be spread throughout the country rather than the traditional city stadia.

It’s a revenge match for the Green Machine, who fell 1-0 to Highlanders in a Castle Lager PSL match at Barbourfields Stadium last month.

Bosso captain Gilbert Banda headed home past Makepekepe’s goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda to assure the Bulawayo soccer giants of maximum points.

In the last cup tie in September last year, Highlanders beat the Green Machine 2-1 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 stalemate after regulation time in the Zaoga Golden Jubilee Shield semi-final at Emagumeni.

Bosso last lost to Caps United in the first round of the PSL season last year, succumbing to a 3-1 defeat in Harare and the Bulawayo soccer giants won the reverse fixture 1-0 at Barbourfields.

Caps United were last year in the finals of the ill-fated BancABC Sup8r Cup and lost to Dynamos 3-2 after dismissing Shooting Stars in the quarter-final and relegated Lengthens in the semi-final.

Caps United’s chief executive officer Maxwell Mironga said his club would be comfortable playing at Baghdad, which he believed had a wonderful pitch. Mironga said Bosso had always given them headaches in league matches but it was always a different story in cup games.

“We are very comfortable playing in Kwekwe. I understand they have a very good pitch there. Highlanders always give us problems in league matches, but it is always different when it comes to these knockout competitions. We are looking forward to a good result on Sunday,” Mironga said.

The other quarter-finals of the tournament will pit Dynamos against Hwange, Motor Action and Monomotapa while Shabanie will take on Gunners this Saturday.

Winners of this year’s competition are assured of $50 000 prize money with the runners-up assured of getting $20 000 while the losing semi-finalists will get $10 000 each.