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NewsDay

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Bosso’s wasted chance

Sport
HIGHLANDERS were left to rue a missed opportunity to go top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League log table after they were held by visiting Triangle at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday, in a match that never reached top gear.

HIGHLANDERS..0

TRIANGLE…..0

HIGHLANDERS were left to rue a missed opportunity to go top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League log table after they were held by visiting Triangle at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday, in a match that never reached top gear.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

The Elroy Akbay-coached side would have leapfrogged leaders FC Platinum by goal difference with, a win, but failed to produce the kind of performance and quality required to mount a successful title challenge.

Akbay was disappointed at letting the chance to be top of the league at the halfway stage of the season escape them and gave conflicting statements on the result, first saying it was a point gained rather than two dropped. “It was a bad game for my side. We gave Triangle too much space to play football. We were very lucky they did not score.

“For us, today’s result was as good as a defeat. The system of play has to improve. Most of our players are out due to injury, but still we needed to do better,” Akbay, who also lamented the absence of chief striker, Bruce Kangwa who is in Tanzania on trials with Azam FC, said.

Bosso’s next game, as they start their second round of fixtures, is the big clash against old foes Caps United at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Sunday, a match they cannot afford to lose.

Triangle, on the other hand, arrived in Bulawayo in search of a win that would have seen them move to joint fourth on the log with Dynamos.

They pushed in the second half, fresher than an opponent drained by the weekend Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Charities Cup final exertions, but failed to find the decisive breakthrough.

Coach David Mandigora said, although his team created better chances, a point away from home was not a bad result. “Highlanders are one of the best teams in the league, favourites for the title and we are happy getting a point from them away from home. It is a good result for us, although we wanted to win, but we just could not score. We created about two chances, but we could not convert. We will try to improve our performance in the second round of the league,” he said.

The Sugar Boys host high-flying Ngezi Platinum at the weekend to start their second round of fixtures.

Looking to win to move to the top of the log, it was the home side who started strongly, but the vigour lasted less than 15 minutes, as fatigue from the weekend ZNA Charities Shield penalty shootout victory over Harare City appeared to take effect.

However, they could have taken the lead in that brief period of dominance, but young Prince Dube failed to compose himself in a face-to-face situation with Triangle goalkeeper, Ronald Mudimu inside the penalty box after he was sent through by right-back, Tendai Ngulube in the second minute.

The visitors quickly settled in, closing down on Highlanders, with Malvern Gaki having a field day in the centre and his cross from left found no takers in the 18th minute, with the Highlanders defence caught in sixes and sevens.

The nimble-footed winger wasted another glorious chance for his side in the later stages of the match, when he found some space inside the box, but his weak shot couldn’t trouble Highlanders goalie, Ariel Sibanda. Highlanders’ best chance of the second half landed on Erick Mudzingwa with five minutes remaining in the match after a good build-up involving Brian Banda, Gabriel Nyoni and veteran striker, Ralph Matema, but the holding midfielder shot tamely.

TEAMS:

Highlanders: A Sibanda, T Ngulube, J Daudi, P Muduhwa, F Chindungwe, E Mudzingwa, P Dube, B Banda, N Ndlovu (R Matema 74’), G Makaruse (S Munawa 57’), G Nyoni Triangle: R Mudimu, D Phiri, R Mhlanga, D Dzvinyai, K Chigwida, R Kawondera, G Zhokinyi, M Mukamba, N Meson (T Mapungwana 36’), M Gaki (B Juwayeyi 89’), N Mazivisa