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From Ricky Zililo, in Harare
Highlanders 0-3 Harare City
HARARE City FC piled more misery on Highlanders, dumping them out of the $500,000 Chibuku Super Cup with a flawless show.
The Bulawayo giants were left with some soul searching to do as they played second fiddle to their opponents who were tactically superior.
Even the Bosso stand-in coach Mark Mathe is worried about the team’s poor show that has seen them suffer heavy defeats in as many weeks.

“It’s very alarming if results don’t come along. We need to regroup, show mental strength in the last games that will follow after doing a self introspection. The players need to have self-belief as we try to find a solution in the shortest possible time so that we save our season by qualifying for the Mbada Diamonds Cup,” said Mathe.

As it is, Highlanders look set to end the season without any silverware as they are out of the championship race and with their poor run in the league, they might find themselves out of the top four, which will effectively rule them out of the Mbada Diamonds Cup. The appointment of Cosmas “Tsano” Zulu as technical advisor did not bring any change to the system as he also sat motionless and speechless as the Sunshine Boys ran riot.

Yesterday, the Bosso defence, just like Tsano, were clueless on how to deal with Harare City striker Francisco Zekumbawire who scored a beauty in the last minute of first-half stoppage time capitalising on Innocent Mapuranga’s defensive blunder after failing to head away a seemingly harmless ball.

The Sunshine City Boys, who will face FC Platinum in the final on a date yet to be announced, doubled their lead 20 minutes into the second half through substitute William Manondo. The speedy winger was at the end of a Zekumbawire pass before putting his effort into the far corner past a hapless Bosso goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda.

Zekumbawire had done well to shield the ball from Dumisani Ndlovu before laying it into the path of an on rushing Manondo who made justice to the perfect pass.

As if that wasn’t enough, Harare City, who were full of running and always looked dangerous on counter attacks, put the game to bed with a Martin Vengesai goal in the referee’s optional time after catching the Highlanders defence static.

So disappointing was Highlanders that they never had a single attempt at goal in the second half, leaving the Harare City goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupanedengu a spectator.

Bosso, who had gone into yesterday’s game smarting from a 4-0 defeat to Caps United, had dominated the early stages of the game but failed to turn in the few near-chances they created into goals.

Sibanda, who missed the Caps United onslaught, returned to the starting lineup with Erick Mudzingwa deployed on the right side of defence while Mapuranga and Ndlovu partnered in central defence.

Honest Moyo returned from injury and played as a left back with Bruce Kangwa playing as a second striker where he gave Harare City a few anxious moments before he was pulled out after suffering a deep cut on his head.

Kangwa’s 31st minute replacement Tapiwa Dephistara failed to make any impact as Harare City began to turn the tables on their opponents.

Just a minute after Kangwa’s forced substitution, Highlanders made another forced change, withdrawing Mudzingwa who picked a knee injury for Simon Munawa.

“Those forced changes in the first half affected our rhythm. We were on top of the game but after that we just went on a low,” Mathe said.
To their credit Harare City, whose game plan was to congest the midfield, paid off as the quartet of Tendai Ngulube, Timire Mamvura, Talent Chawapiwa and Vengesai were first on the ball and kept probing forward with Zekumbawire and Osborne Mukuradare ably supporting them.

David Kutyauripo and former national team defender Arnold Chaka were watertight at the back, keeping Simba Sithole and Charles Sibanda under lock and key.

An elated Harare City’s coach Masimba Dinyero said: “We were mentally, physically and tactically prepared. We didn’t want to give them any room and we knew that if we contain them for 15-20 minutes which is the period that Highlanders normally scores we will be fine. After that, we congested the midfield, dropping striker Mukuradare so that Zekumbawire became our target man and it worked. The other thing we did was not to let them cross the balls.”

On the final against FC Platinum, Dinyero said he is looking forward to lifting the trophy.
“It will be a tightly contested game but as a coach I want to win this trophy. Both clubs (FC Platinum and Harare City) enjoy knocking around the ball and that sets the tone for an exciting final,” said Dinyero.

Teams
Highlanders: Ariel Sibanda, Erick Mudzingwa (Simon Munawa, 31st minute), Dumisani Ndlovu, Innocent Mapuranga, Honest Moyo, Felix Chindungwe, Mthulisi Maphosa, Rahman Kutsanzira (Pasca Manhanga, 66th minute), Simba Sithole, Charles Sibanda, Bruce Kangwa (Tapiwa Dephistara, 32nd minute)
Harare City: Maxwell Nyamupagedengu, Munyaradzi Nyenye-Diro, Arnold Chivheya, David Kutyauripo, Arnold Chaka, Tendai Ngulube, Timire mamvura, Martin Vengesai, Osborne Mukuradare (William Manondo, 61st minute), Francisco Zekumbawire, Talent Chawapiwa, (Benson Maglasi, 74th minute)