CHICKEN INN . . . . (0) 1 HIGHLANDERS . . . . (1) 1
FORTUNE MBELE
HIGHLANDERS goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya wept uncontrollably after the match when his blunder four minutes into added time earned Chicken Inn a point as they held the Bulawayo giants in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Diya did well to come out of his goal area to make a clearance from a Chicken Inn counter-attack, but after he headed the ball and attempted to clear, he slipped and miscued and Gamecocks’ substitute George Majika capitalised to lob the ball into the net.
Majika cancelled out a spectacular goal by Highlanders striker Ozias Zibande in the 28th minute to deny Bosso a chance to get back to the top of the log standings.
Highlanders are now on position two with nine points, while Hwange are back on top once again with 11 points after beating Black Rhinos 1-0 at the Colliery to displace Dynamos, who fell to Premiership returnees Chapungu 0-1 at Ascot Stadium in Gweru.
But Bosso will have themselves to blame as they wasted a number of chances in the game against Chicken Inn with their only goal coming from Zibande, who connected a Bruce Kangwa cross from the left inside the box to beat Chicken Inn goalkeeper Liberty Chirava all systems out.
And with their only chance in the game, Chicken Inn got the all-important goal with head coach Joey Antipas saying his boys lacked creativity.
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“I thought overall our game was good. We lacked creativity, but we fought until the last minute. We were over-anxious, losing the ball and Highlanders defended very well until we got the only chance and we scored. Majika has got a bright future. We will continue to give him game time bit by bit,” Antipas said.
Chicken Inn are now on position 12 with six points from five matches. Highlanders head coach Kelvin Kaindu said it was unfortunate that they gave away the game in the last minute.
“We thought we had wrapped it up and we lost concentration. They (Chicken Inn) utilised their only chance. Chicken Inn have always been difficult this being a derby. We just hope for the best against Caps United at the weekend,” Kaindu said.
Zibande could have scored as early as the 16th minute, but his header from a Simon Munawa cross was safely collected by Chirava.
In the 20th minute Kudakwashe Mahachi’s grounder missed the left upright post after he was set up by Zibande from a build-up with Welcome Ndiweni. Diya came off his line four minutes after the break and made a clearance after dispossessing substitute Ishmael Lawe after Ndiweni had lost the ball in the centre.
Chirava denied Zibande his second goal from point-blank range in the 70th minute after the Bosso striker picked up a failed effort by Mahachi. Joel “Josta” Ngodzo played his first game for Bosso coming in from the bench to replace Milton Ncube in the 77th minute.
TEAMS CHICKEN INN: L Chirava, M Jackson (P Bernard 72nd minute), B Mbiriri, C Mutero, B Nyahunzvi, D Phiri, T Goredema, C Nkomo (I Lawe 46th minute), B Ncube (G Majika 61st minute), C Matawu, T Mukambi HIGHLANDERS: M Diya, S Munawa, B Kangwa, D Ndlovu, F Chindungwe, E Mudzingwa, K Mutizwa (I Kutsanzira 65th minute), W Ndiweni (C Sibanda 57th minute), O Zibande, M Ncube (J Ngodzo 77th minute), K Mahachi
