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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
Highlanders 0-0 How Mine
HIGHLANDERS’ Castle Lager championship hopes suffered yet another setback when they were held by How Mine to a goalless draw yesterday, their second in as many weeks.

Bosso who went into the game with their coach Kelvin Kaindu as much under pressure as How Mine’s Philani Ncube failed to gain ground in the race with Dynamos being held by Black Rhinos 0-0 in Kadoma.

The match which had its own highs and lows had Kaindu expressing satisfaction with his charges’ performance.

He said they played better than against Bantu Rovers.

“I think today, in a long time, our play was more fluid and it’s just unfortunate that we did not score,” said Kaindu.

The match also saw the return of nomadic forward, Njabulo Ncube. He created a number of chances in the first half before shooting agonizingly wide and was guilty of lack of pace and not carving open the How Mine rearguard with runs off the ball.

The situation got worse when he was later partnered with Ozias Zibande where their lack of aggression was evident as they could not even win aerial balls as well.

In the first half Charles Sibanda was a beneficiary a number of times of Ncube’s good passes but his shots on goal were smothered by Ephraim Mazarura in goal for the gold miners.

Highlanders started the match the more determined side but the killer instinct was lacking or their raids were thwarted by the outstanding former Bosso skipper Gilbert Banda, now in the How Mine colours.

How Mine coach Ncube tactically pushed the tried and tested Banda to the anchorman’s role and it was just the antidote which was needed in the match.

In the 17th minute, attacking left back Bruce Kangwa made a solo run on his territory, crossed the centreline before getting into the box but his final execution let him down as was the case all afternoon.

Not to be overwhelmed, the gold miners executed their own attack with Heritein Masuku receiving the final pass from Kuda Musharu just outside the box.

The pint-sized intelligently tried to catch Bosso shot stopper Ariel Sibanda off his line with a snap shot which however never troubled the goalkeeper.

For the next few minutes, play was concentrated in the middle of the park with Banda ruthlessly imposing his presence on the likes of Mthulisi Maphosa, false striker Charles Sibanda and Felix Chindungwe who played well as an anchorman.

Bosso fans were jerked off their seats in the 22nd minute following some lovely footwork from Njabulo who spotted an onrushing Sibanda on the left side as Bosso were attacking the Soweto end but Sibanda’s shot was saved by Mazarura.

The second half had little action save for the substitutions which the two teams made, Bosso bringing in  former Tsholotsho FC and Triangle United midfielder Pasca Manhanga and young Godfrey Makaruse for Knox Mutizwa and the sometimes too elaborate Valentine Ndaba in the 56th minute.

Manhanga seemed to have charmed the hearts of the ever sceptical Tshilamoya fans and with a bit of luck, could have grabbed a memorable debut goal deep into injury time.

Zibande was a 69th minute introduction for veteran Mthulisi Maphosa.

How Mine brought in Caleb Masocha for Heritein Masuku in the 55th minute while wing master Timothy January and Emmanuel Mandiranga came in for Morris Kadzola and Musharu in the 73rd and 84th minutes respectively.

After the match, coach Ncube accused some unnamed sports journalists of speaking ill of him yet pretending to be his friends.

“No, no, no, before we go any further, I want to tell you something, you don’t and you will never determine the hiring and firing of a coach. You are saying a lot of bad things about me out there yet pretending to be my friends,” said Ncube, without naming the journalists.

His team had up to yesterday lost four consecutive matches and in the fifth he held Bosso to a draw. It is understood a loss yesterday could have endangered his future at How Mine.

It’s not the first time that Ncube has had an impromptu attack on media practitioners.

Highlanders have gone over 180 minutes without scoring and only Charles Sibanda seems to be the only player eager to find the target and twice yesterday Maphosa also came close as both seem not to shy away from responsibility.

Highlanders: A Sibanda, E Mudzingwa, B Kangwa, I Mapuranga, D Ndlovu, M Maphosa (O Zibande 69th minute), K Mutizwa (P Manhanga 56th minute), V Ndaba (G Makaruse 56th minute), F Chindungwe, C Sibanda, N Ncube

How Mine: E Mazarura, J Chitereki, G Banda, George Magariro, B Dube, N Mukumbi, E Muzanenhamo, K Musharu (E Mandiranga 84th minute), H Masuku (C Masocha 55th minute), T Masuku, M Kadzola (T January (73rd minute).