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After the lifeless draw, reality should be creeping in that title hopes are slowly fading away with some bad refereeing and of course the technical team’s own ineptitude.

The result left Bosso trailing defending champions Dynamos, who beat Harare City 1-0 in Harare, by two points. Highlanders have amassed 47 points.

Highlanders’ coach Kelvin Kaindu conceded that they played below par.

“We failed to play the way we were supposed to. There was a bit of complacency from our side but we thank God that we got a point,” Kaindu said.

Commenting on the championship, the Zambian expatriate said they were not worried about how other teams were playing. Kaindu said they would go back to the drawing board and work on their shortcomings.

Credit goes to Chicken Inn who had a disciplined display with a compact defence well marshalled by steady Felix Chindungwe who has been in good form for the Gamecocks.

Chicken Inn were by far the better team of the day even though Highlanders created chances which they failed to utilise. They were first to most balls in midfield and showed hunger to get a positive result and one would have thought it was them in the championship mix.

Their strategy to play the man and frustrate Highlanders through feigning injuries appeared to work too with the aid of some bad officiating by Philani Ncube.

The way Chicken Inn dominated showed that Bosso  missed the services of injured Masimba Mambare in midfield that had Mthulisi Maphosa, Peter “Rio” Moyo, Bhekimpilo Ncube, Simon Munawa and Milton Ncube.

So bad were things that the usually dependable  creative duo of Maphosa and Moyo, who could not turn the magic on, had to be substituted in the second half with Maphosa making way for Beavan Chikaka in the 56th minute while Arnold Ndiweni came in for Moyo in the later stages of the game.

The match had started with the hosts showing that they meant business as early as the third minute when former Soccer Star of the Year Evans Chikwaikwai forced the best out of national team goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda off a long-range effort.

National Under-20 star Kudakwashe Mahachi escaped without a card in the sixth minute when he retaliated against Atlast Musasa after a challenge but referee Ncube let him off the hook.

Chicken Inn could have finished the game with 10 men when their defender Herbert Dick clumsily went for a double open foot challenge on Peter “Rio” Moyo in the 11th minute but he got away with a yellow card.

Bosso were always second to the ball with Chicken Inn dominating in possession but they failed to make use of that with Tendai Ndoro fluffing a good scoring chance in the 23rd minute. This was after Chikwaikwai had benefited from a long pass from Chindungwe before sending a cross to an unmarked Ndoro in the box who then directed his header off target.

Dick kept treading on dangerous ground as in the half-hour mark he pulled down Milton Ncube in the box but the referee waved play on. Philani should have given Milton a yellow card if he thought the player had dived in the box which he did not.

Highlanders got half a chance in the 40th minute when Milton after being set-up by Moyo dribbled past Brian Mbiriri and, faced with Chicken Inn’s Njabulo Nyoni, he opted for the near post where the goalie was and he punched the ball to safety.

On the stroke of halftime, Lenience “Qobho” Mpofu missed a sitter and blasted his effort way over the bar in the 12-yard area with only Sibanda to beat.

Highlanders came back from the breather with a positive attitude which however faded along the way.
Milton could not direct his 51st minute effort at goal and four minutes later Maphosa’s goal bound header was cleared by two Chicken defenders with Nyoni nowhere in action.

Highlanders had another chance that went begging in the 64th minute after Moyo exhibited  individual brilliance, dribbled past Thabani Goredema, sent in a pass to Graham who reacted late and his effort at goal was blocked by Chindungwe.

“It was a tough game but I think we could have gone with maximum points but we got a point which is better. We were good in defence and managed to congest the midfield because that is where their (Highlanders) strength is,” said Chicken Inn’s assistant coach Mandla Mpofu.

Teams
Chicken Inn: N Nyoni, M Jackson, F Chindungwe, H Dick, B Mbiriri, T Ndoro (M Ncube, 70th minute), L Mpofu (M Marima 85th minute), E Chikwaikwai, T Goredema, K Mahachi (C Nkomo 90th minute), S Linyama
Highlanders: A Sibanda, I Mapuranga, E Mudzingwa, B Kangwa, A Musasa, M Maphosa (B Chikaka, 56th minute), P Moyo (A Ndiweni, 87th minute), B Ncube, M Ncube, S Munawa, G Ncube (H MOyo, 76th minute).

Results at a glance
Tuesday: Quelaton 0, FC Platinum 4; Motor Action 2, Black Mambas 2; Gunners 0, Buffaloes 1; Caps United 2, Hardbody 1; Shabanie Mine 2, Hwange 1; Blue Rangers 1, Monomotapa 1
Yesterday: Chicken Inn 0, Highlanders 0; Harare City 0, Dynamos 1