The Midlands Province livens up this weekend as Baghdad Stadium hosts a potentially explosive BancABC Sup8r Cup quarter-final tie pitting Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) giants Highlanders and Caps United on Sunday.
Bosso and Makepekepe meet tomorrow on the backdrop of grudging league defeats last Sunday as the Bulawayo football giants displayed a poor performance to lose 1-0 to an impressive Hwange outfit while the Green Machine dropped three points losing to arch-rivals Dynamos with similar score-line.
Caps United, who lost 1-0 to Highlanders in a league match in the first round of the 2011 PSL season last month, will be out to revenge that loss in which Bosso captain Gilbert Banda’s header eluded goalkeeper Edmore “Zikeeper” Sibanda a minute just before the final whistle.
Ironically it was the same story last weekend for Caps as DeMbare’s Tawanda Muparati fired past “Zikeeper” in the last minute to hand the Green Machine the resentful loss to the Glamour Boys.
A Highlanders-packed midfield of anchorman Simon Munawa, Arnold Tshuma, Eric Mudzingwa, injured Louis Matawu and Rahman Kutsanzira played second fiddle to Tennant Chilumba-coached Hwange’s scorer Kennedy Kashema, captain Gerald Ndlovu and Nkosana Siwela, who had a field day at Emagumeni last Sunday.
Bosso coach Mkhuphali “Mr Cooper” Masuku only left former Caps United’s Vincent Nzombe as a solo striker but the bulky forward did not get supply from immobile midfield. Given the chance, gradually improving Nzombe could torment his former paymasters on Saturday.
Masuku on Friday said the trick is to restore confidence to whoever is in the starting line-up for tomorrow’s clash.
“We will just be restoring confidence to whoever is starting on Sunday and returning to our winning ways. Of course there will be a few changes to the team but I am not at liberty to say who and in what department — I would be selling out on the boys,” Mr Cooper said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Man-of-the-moment, Rahman Kutsanzira, is available and so is young Misheck Mburayi, who was dropped from the Under-23 Young Warriors squad that plays South Africa in the Zone VI All-Africa Games first leg final qualifier on Saturday afternoon.
Highlanders also have right-back Lawson Nkomo, who has had a fair share in the Bosso offensive onslaughts of late.
Mr Cooper also banks on the central defence of captain Gilbert Banda and Innocent Mapuranga with Gift “Thebe” Lunga.
First choice goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda will be with the Young Warriors in South Africa. Under-fire Caps United coach Moses Chunga has the experience and confidence in Zikeeper to inspire his charges to glory.
Also in Caps United’s ranks is Pride Tafirenyika, Washington Pakamisa, former Highlanders’ pair of Stephen Alimenda and Joel Luphahla, Charles Chiutsa and Malvern Samaneka.
