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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Acting Sports Editor

HIGHLANDERS Football Club coach Hendriek Pieter de Jongh is hoping for a positive result when his charges take on a revived Tel One at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow.

Amhlolanyama stumbled on the road last Saturday, dropping two points against Division One bound Herentals at the National Sports Stadium, having taken the lead through in-form striker Prince Dube in a match that was reportedly not handled well by the continentally respected Norman Matemera.

Matemera raised the country’s flag high in 2018 when he exposed an attempt to bribe him ahead of a Caf inter-club match.

The draw halted Bosso’s three-match unbeaten run in which they had accounted for Bulawayo Chiefs, Dynamos and league title favourites, Chicken Inn. Before those three wins, they had drawn their two previous matches.

For Tel One, they come into tomorrow’s duel on the backdrop of an impressive showing in their last five matches where they have won three and drawn two, conceding just a single goal in the process.

Tel One demolished Yadah 4-1, drew 0-0 away to Dynamos, stunned Ngezi Platinum 1-0 in Gweru, held FC Platinum to a nil all draw at Mandava Stadium before posting a 1-0 win over Manica Diamonds at Ascot Stadium.

Before their loss to Tel One, Manica Diamonds had gone for six matches without a defeat.

“Focus is now on Sunday, today (Thursday) we are free because the boys are a little tired, we had a lot of matches, tomorrow and Saturday we train, and on Sunday we play our match. I believe in good results, I have a good feeling. What I can do is ask the team to be eager for victory, like (how they played) the second half against Chicken Inn, and it is important that the players with quality make the difference,” de Jongh told the club’s official website, www.highlandersfc.co.zw.

He is not taking the visitors lightly, based on their performance so far.

“Three matches, clean sheets. Their last match was a victory against Manica Diamonds, before that they had played a mid-week match against FC Platinum, which ended 0-0. So four points in two matches, plus clean sheets.

We play at home, so we want a good result – a good result is a victory, that is the intention. If we win on Sunday we will make steps up the log. We know as coaches that it is not easy, as I told you earlier, in this league any team can lose to any team, and any team can win against anyone. Even if you look at the results the most common scorelines are 2-1,0-0, 1-1, 1-0; there is never a big score. Most teams play catenaccio football like in Italy, making it difficult to find way,” de Jongh said.

Catenaccio is an Italian word that means ‘door-bolt’. In this style of football, the major focus is on tightening the defence.

Tomorrow’s match sees the return of midfielder Adrian Silla who missed last weekend’s draw to Herentals due to suspension. Silla is expected to partner well with midfield marshal Nqobizitha Masuku that will see the duo providing the first line of defence whenever the opposition makes raids forward while also being key in providing those cutting edge passes to strikers Tinashe Makanda and Dube who is likely to find himself among the country’s best 11 players alongside wing menace Ray ‘Ndorindori’ Lunga.

The defence as always will be marshalled by Peter Muduhwa and young Andrew Mbeba, odds on favourite for the Rookie of the Year award. Taking care of business from the right and left back will be McClive Phiri and Mbongeni Ndlovu respectively while arguably the best goalie on the domestic scene, Ariel Sibanda, will guard the posts.

Fixtures:
Today:Harare City v Mushowani Stars (Rufaro), Black Rhinos v Chicken Inn (NSS), Manica Diamonds v ZPC Kariba Vengere), FC Platinum v Yadah (Mandava), Ngezi Platinum v Dynamos (Baobab)
Tomorrow: Caps United v Hwange (NSS), Bulawayo Chiefs v Triangle United (Luveve), Chapungu v Herentals (Ascot), Highlanders v Tel One (Barbourfields).