Innocent Kurira at Barbourfields Stadium
Highlanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 3
GreenFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
HIGHLANDERS' dominance over GreenFuel was rewarded with a comfortable 3-0 victory that sent them to the quarter-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup tournament yesterday.
This was perhaps one of the most dominant performances Bosso have produced at their home ground this season.
It was certainly the performance coach Kelvin Kaindu has been longing for and he admitted that his team had not been performing, well of late, at home in the league.
The black army was duly rewarded for their efforts on the stroke of half-time after Melikhaya Ncube put them in front with a tap in from close range.
The visitors protested the goal as Ncube seemed to be in an offside position but referee Busani Siwala and his assistant Nirimai Muroyiwa thought otherwise.
GreenFuel players protested against the referee's call and goalkeeper Tendai Chirara and Reginald Chinemo were booked for charging at Muroyiwa in protest.
The second goal would come in the 64th minute, off a brilliant turn and shot effort from Ndlovu inside the box before Marvelous Chigumira made it three in the 80th minute with a shot inside the box off a Ndlovu pass.
Bosso head coach Kelvin Kaindu was happy with his team's performance.
"It was a difficult game. The opponents were tactically good. We struggled to get the first goal. But when we got the goal, we knew the game was going to be open. We have not scored three goals. Today we scored three goals and it is a plus for us. We could have managed to score more but congratulations to the team.
"We had to make four changes to the team that played in the last game because of injuries to some players but unfortunately we had to make an early change on our goalkeeper who came out injured but we just hope he will be ready for next week but I feel it might be too early to have him back. It was good that we won and scored goals, we only wish it was a league game and it could have given us an advantage in terms of goal difference," said Kaindu.
GreenFuel coach Saul Chaminuka felt that the first goal, which he thought should not have stood was the turning point of the game.
"The turning point was the first goal of the match. You end up not knowing how to evaluate your players because of that goal. When you concede a goal in the manner that we did, everybody will be disturbed. The game was okay up until that moment. When we came back, we were trying to play but then you look at your players and say are we failing to play because we have been affected by that goal?
"As coaches, we work on how to play but then when things like that happen you are left wondering that we are teaching people the wrong things because I think it was an offside, it was. Fine, that's the referee's call and there's nothing that you can do but some decisions affect the way the game of football is supposed to go," said Chaminuka.
Bosso were forced to make an early substitution after goalkeeper and captain of the day Raphael Pitisi went down without any contact and was substituted with what seemed to be a knee injury.
He was replaced by Ariel Sibanda after 22 minutes of play.
Sibanda's introduction was met with an ovation from the Bosso fans. Bosso dominated the proceedings early on and in the 13th minute, Chigumira sent in a brilliant cross which Chirara punched back into play but Bosso couldn't capitalise on the rebound.
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In the 19th minute, McKinnon Mushore's shot from outside went wide of goal. At the half-hour mark, Chigumira sent in yet another brilliant cross from the left which Brighton Ncube headed over the bar. Soon after the start of the second half, with Bosso leading one nil, Brian Chikwenya forced a good save from Sibanda with a thunderbolt.
The Highlanders shot stopper punched the ball back into play but it was cleared for a corner kick which went to waste. In the 66th minute, Honest Malanga's shot inside the box, unmarked, went wide, and four minutes later, Prince Ndlovu forced a save from Chirara with a dipping shot from the right flank. Two minutes later, Ndlovu was put through on goal, and with Mhlanga on the other side, Ndlovu went for glory but shot over the bar.
