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Erick Mudzingwa

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS’ skipper Erick Mudzingwa has fully recovered from illness and will be available for the Bulawayo giants’ league clash against Triangle United at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.

The long-serving skipper missed Bosso’s last two home matches and the abandoned away match at FC Platinum last weekend due to an undisclosed ailment.

However, coach Erol Akbay revealed at the club’s weekly press conference yesterday that the player had fully recovered and was training hard.

“He is back from an illness and has been training, but I would not say with certainty that he will be part of the first 11 against Triangle United on Sunday,” said Akbay.

Highlanders will be seeking to get back to winning ways and stay within sight of the leading pack after dropping their second set of three points at Barbourfields Stadium in a 0-1 loss to Chicken Inn in their previous game, having lost by a similar score line to Shabanie Mine in the second week of the season on a day Mudzingwa saw red.

Bosso were on course for their first win of the season on the road last Sunday until deep into injury time when referee Brighton Chimene awarded home side FC Platinum a penalty after striker Charles Sibanda tripped when he came into contact with Ralph Matema, who got to the ball first.

Akbay had initially insisted that the incident happened outside the box, but video evidence showed otherwise and he chose to be sarcastic about it yesterday.

“First I want to apologise to the referee because I initially had said the foul had occurred well outside the box and this was because of where we were. I also want to apologise because I said the referee was far from the action, but after reviewing the match, I realised that the incident actually happened inside the box and the referee was very much closer to the action, but somehow he conveniently failed to see that our player kicked the ball first,” said Akbay.

The Dutchman said his team had been a victim of bad decisions in six of the 12 league matches they have played this season and appealed to the referees’ committee to put corrective measures.

“If we are to lose, we have to lose on a fair field, not having the referee being the big boss. We can’t have that, but for our Sunday game, we are looking forward to a positive result. We know that Triangle United might not have been winning, but they have a strong defence as well,” said Akbay.

Bosso have managed just a single win in six outings, while their opponents have registered two wins, drawn three and lost one match from the same number of matches.

Bosso’s other two matches though are yet to be decided in the boardroom following fracases that prematurely ended play.

Elsewhere tomorrow, Bulawayo City take on How Mine in derby that can go either way, while Bantu Rovers are on the road to a bruised ZPC Kariba, who were walloped 1-3 by a rebuilding Dynamos last weekend.

The Harare giants themselves will square off against the league’s whipping boys Tsholotsho at Dulivhadzimu Stadium in a match that is set to draw a large crowd now that The Glamour Boys seem to have found their winning formula.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: Yadah v Hwange ( 1300hrs SS, Harare City v Chicken Inn FC National Sports Stadium 1500hrs SS), Bulawayo City v How Mine (Barbourfields Stadium), ZPC Kariba v Bantu Rovers (Nyamhunga Stadium), Tsholotsho v Dynamos (Dulivhadzimo Stadium)

Sunday: Highlanders v Triangle United (Barbourfields Stadium), Ngezi Platinum v Chapungu (Baobab Stadium, SS), Shabanie Mine v FC Platinum (Maglas Stadium).

– @skhumoyo2000