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Highlanders players celebrate Obidiah Tarumbwa’s goal on Sunday

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter—
WHAT a way to end the football year! A derby could just be the right tonic to end the exciting 2015 domestic season with Bulawayo giants Highlanders clashing against league champions Chicken Inn in the final of the Easycall Cup at Barbourfields Stadium this Saturday. The Bulawayo neighbours stormed into the final in style by dispatching their bitter Harare opponents Caps United and Dynamos.

Chicken Inn secured their place in the final after thumping Caps United 3-0 on Saturday at Barbourfields Stadium, with goals from Soccer Star of the Year finalist Clemence Matawu, Raphael Kutinyu and Mitchell Katsvairo. Caps United supporters found the defeat a bitter pill to swallow and hurled missiles onto the pitch towards the end of the match leading to a 15-minute stoppage.

Twenty-four hours later, Highlanders put up a brilliant first half performance to dump perennial rivals Dynamos out of the tournament through a 2-1 win. Bosso scored both their goals in the first half through Obidiah Tarumbwa and Knox Mutizwa, while Dynamos got their consolation from bad boy Rodrick Mutuma.

However, Mutuma, who should not have featured in the match were it not for the massive pressure Dynamos put on the PSL, embarrassed his paymasters when he kicked Bosso striker Ralph Matema in the 88th minute to earn himself a straight red card.

Mutuma had been handed a four-match suspension together with fellow striker Takesure Chinyama after they were found guilty of threateningly charging at referee Philan Ncube after the final of the Chibuku Super Cup against Harare City in October.

Instead of Dynamos appealing the verdict through the Zifa Appeals’ desk, the Dynamos leadership met PSL chairman Twine Phiri in Harare and he accepted their appeal, giving them the green light to feature against Bosso.

The two, however, failed to justify their club’s round the clock pressure to lift their suspensions as they were kept under lock and key by an impressive Bosso backline of Felix Chindungwe, Erick Mudzingwa, Bruce Kangwa and Tendai Ngulube.

Chinyama was replaced in the 84th minute by Ralph Kawondera before Mutuma laid bare his indiscipline four minutes later. Probably frustrated that his team was on its way out of the tournament, Mutuma kicked Matema in retaliation to being pulled back, earning a straight sending off.

In a moment of madness, he then spat in the face of the Bosso substitute on his way to the dressing room. DeMbare coach Tonderai Ndiraya was not amused by Mutuma’s behaviour and did not hide his disgust at the end of the match.

Ndiraya fell short of expressing regret at appealing against Mutuma’s suspension. “We wanted to win. Maybe the circus that happened throughout the week affected us because we had planned for this game with Mutuma and Chinyama out of our minds, only to know that they’re available at the end of the week,” said Ndiraya.

“I’m very disappointed with the red card that Mutuma got. I didn’t expect that, especially from a senior player like him after the club had done everything to make him available for this match.

“With all the efforts that were made during the week for him to play in this game and he goes on to get a silly red card is very disturbing. As a club, we can’t allow such kind of indiscipline and we’re certainly going to sit down and deal with this issue,” he said.

Away from the Mutuma drama, Highlanders deservedly won the game and now brace for a tough challenge against a Chicken Inn side that wants to end the year with a league and cup double. Chicken Inn captain Danny “Deco” Phiri said previous form won’t matter in the final.

“We know each other as players and that’s going to make the game difficult for either team. I think the team that will want it more will win the cup. As it is, it’s difficult to predict because we also want this cup and Bosso want it to make up for a trophy-less season,” said Phiri.

“The only advantage that we’ve is that we’re relaxed and pressure will be on Highlanders. Look, Caps United came here hard-pressed for a win and left empty-handed because they were under pressure. Who knows, we can also capitalise on that pressure when we take on Highlanders.”

The winners will bank $80,000 and losing finalists $50,000. For reaching the semi-finals, Caps United and Dynamos will each pocket $30,000.