Highlanders . . . . 0 Kiglon . . . . . . . . . 0
Kiglon Bird salvaged yet another point from a wasteful Highlanders outfit in a tepid goalless Castle Lager Premiership match played at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
The Harare team drew 0-0 with the Bulawayo football giants last Wednesday at Rufaro Stadium and caretaker coach Pearson Matipedza was yesterday an elated man after the match saying his strategy worked for the team.
“I made it very clear that I was coming to Bulawayo to play a very cautious game. We parked the bus, actually we parked the airbus and we played a defensive game, which was our plan. I am very happy with the two points that we got from Highlanders,” Matipedza said.
“I am trying to build a team and my next assignment is to attack. We are waiting for clearances and we will be registering new players soon,” Matipedza said.
Highlanders gaffer Mkhuphali “Mr Cooper” Masuku rued the several chances that were missed by his forwards.
“When you miss chances you don’t win a game. We did everything but we did not have the cutting edge. Complacency caused our strikers to miss chances,” Masuku said.
The youthful Highlanders coach hinted that if funds were available, the Bulawayo football giants would be hunting for strikers.
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“Resources permitting, we should be getting more strikers,” Masuku said.
It was a game of wasted chances for Highlanders with the worst culprit being Njabulo “Tshiki” Ncube who could have banged in many goals for Bosso, but was inaccurate on several occasions.
It was however surprising that Ncube was kept in the game for the entire 90 minutes after a dismal display which cost Bosso maximum points in front of their home crowd.
Vincent Nzombe, who came in for an ineffective Xolani Ncube in the 46th minute, could also not save the day for Highlanders as he missed chances, with another good one going begging in the 64th minute.
It was left for critics to be proven right that when dribbling wizard Rahman Kutsanzira is off-form, then the whole of Highlanders would be out of the game.
Captain Gilbert Banda tried to lead by example, involving himself in the thick of things more often, but it was not his day as he was thwarted by the determined Kiglon defence of Bernard Gumbo, Mudiwa Mususa, Sheppard Chokuwamba and Kumbirai Kupikinyu.
Veteran Gift Lunga, who was thrust upfront in attack, also had a good game but was pulled out in the 74th minute to make way for Bruce Kangwa. Kiglon kept their defence water-tight leaving only More Moyo upfront and it worked for the visitors.
Teams Highlanders: A Sibanda, G Banda, B Tshuma, L Nkomo, R Kutsanzira, G Lunga (B Kangwa 74th min), I Mapuranga, S Munawa (L Matawu 60th min), N Ncube, X Ncube (V Nzombe 46th min), B Ndlovu Kiglon: T Mudzamiri, B Gumbo, K Kapikinyu, M Mususa, C Machona, G Manhuwa (B Pamirwa 65th min), B Bvumbwe, M Moyo, L Chibwiro, S Chokuwamba, K Magejo Results at a glance Yesterday: Caps United 0-2 Gunners (game abandoned after 69mins), Highlanders 0-0 Kiglon.
