×
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.

‘We were lucky’

Sport
Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu has admitted his charges were lucky when they scrapped past Hwange on Sunday to maintain a three-point lead in the Castle Premiership standings over second placed Dynamos. This is only the second time in seven matches that Highlanders have scored less than two goals, having drawn 1-1 against Buffaloes in Mutare. […]

Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu has admitted his charges were lucky when they scrapped past Hwange on Sunday to maintain a three-point lead in the Castle Premiership standings over second placed Dynamos.

This is only the second time in seven matches that Highlanders have scored less than two goals, having drawn 1-1 against Buffaloes in Mutare. They have been efficient in front of goal, scoring 20 times.

Their resolve to hold on to the top spot comes under scrutiny tomorrow when they travel to fortress Maglas in Zvishavane for a date with Shabanie Mine, who are also unbeaten at home this season, having held defending champions Dynamos to a 0-0 draw last Wednesday.

A late goal by substitute Beaven Chikaka was all the Bulawayo football giants needed to pick up maximum points after their counterparts looked content with a draw away from home.

A well-timed substitution that brought in Chikaka, Masimba Mambare and industrious Arnold Ndiweni paid off for Highlanders as Hwange paid dearly for playing a rather defensive type of play for the entire 90 minutes, heavily depending on the counter-raid.

Kaindu said yesterday his boys were lucky to get the late goal as Hwange defended well.

“The substitution was good for us. Our strategy will not change. We will continue to play our attacking football. It is too early to say that we could be making changes to the team. We still have a training session tomorrow (today) before we travel to Shabanie. They (Hwange) defended well but at the end of it, we got the lucky goal,” Kaindu said.

His counter-part Tennant Chilumba said he would have loved to collect maximum points on Sunday but the type of play and the coal-miners’ attack on Sunday was heavily reliant on the break of a counter-attack while Bosso menacingly approached the game.

Chipangano are back at home tomorrow against Monomotapa at the Colliery.

Shabanie Mine have played draws against big names, champions Dynamos, FC Platinum and Caps United and could be the first to beat Highlanders this season as long as leading scorer Nelson Mazivisa-with seven goals, rises to the occasion.

The former asbestos miners, who survived relegation on the last day last year, are coming from a 1-0 victory over Black Mambas away at Morris Depot after holding champions Dynamos to a goalless draw in a rearranged midweek fixture last Wednesday.

Shabanie Mine are on position four-behind FC Platinum with 15 points from eight matches, with four wins, three draws and one loss to new boys Buffaloes, who also gave Bosso a scare with a 1-1 draw at Sakubva Stadium.

FC Platinum further silenced their critics with a 2-1 win over Gunners at Mandava Stadium on Saturday and stuck to position three with 15 points, one behind second-placed Dynamos. The win was Gumbo’s third on the trot after a 3-1 home defeat to Highlanders.

And the Platinum management seem to be reaping the rewards of a wise decision to stick with the Warriors coach.

All has not been well for Chicken Inn, who lost three matches on the trot after a good start to the season, which saw them at the apex of the log-standings but have dropped to position eight.

Chicken Inn lost 2-1 to Dynamos on Sunday in Harare on a day that skipper Hebert Dick was shown the red card. Before losing to DeMbare, Adam Ndlovu’s Chicken Inn lost 1-0 to Buffaloes at Luveve Stadium and to Hardbody at Ascot Stadium with the same scoreline.

They host Black Mambas on Thursday at Luveve Stadium without skipper Herbert Dick who was shown the red card on Sunday against Dynamos. Quelaton, who had got off to a winning streak after beating Harare City and Gunners 1-0 were dealt a heavy blow after they were docked three points for using an ineligible player.

They began losing their games again, falling 1-0 to Caps United last Thursday and losing by the same scoreline to Monomotapa on Saturday in Harare.

But they have a chance to redeem themselves once again when they entertain log-anchors Blue Rangers at Luveve Stadium tomorrow. Hardbody drew 1-1 with fellow newcomers Harare City at Ascot and on Thursday travel to Harare for a date with Gunners at Lafarge Stadium.

Fixtures Tomorrow: Quelaton v Blue Rangers (Luveve); Hwange v Monomotapa (Colliery); Motor Action v Dynamos (Rufaro); Shabanie Mine v Highlanders (Maglas)

Thursday: Caps United v FC Platinum (National Sports Stadium); Harare City v Buffaloes (Rufaro); Chicken Inn v Black Mambas (Luveve); Gunners v Hardbody (Lafarge)