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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter—
Chicken Inn 1-1 Highlanders—
HIGHLANDERS FC goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya’s cruel slip in injury time cost his team maximum points against Chicken Inn and a chance to move to the apex of the log. His slip allowed George Majika to equalise for the Gamecocks. Bosso looked set for victory at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday but with just under a minute remaining, their usually reliable goalkeeper came out of the goalline in a bid to clear the ball to safety but was let down with his second touch as he slid and gave away possession to Majika.

Diya’s mistake came at a time when news had filtered into Emagumeni that defending champions Dynamos had lost 0-1 to Chapungu in Gweru and when the Gamecocks equalised that did not go down well with a section of Bosso supporters at the Soweto end who threw missiles after the final whistle with Diya weeping uncontrollably.

Bosso had taken a first-half lead through a spectacular strike by Ozias Zibande in the 27th minute, shielding his marker and connecting a cross from Bruce Kangwa with a left volley.

Yesterday’s blunder by Diya has cost Highlanders four points inside five days as he was beaten in the near post when Highlanders played to a 1-1 draw with Hwange last Sunday.

Highlanders’ coach Kelvin Kaindu defended Diya and said; “We win as a team and lose as a team. Everybody tried their best.  It’s unfortunate that we gave away maximum points like that as I feel we should have scored another goal to be safe. I think we lost concentration especially when the crowd were not cheering, the guys lost it but we are going to rectify ahead of the big game against Caps United.”

Kaindu made four changes to the starting line-up that faced Hwange last Sunday, bringing in Felix Chindungwe for Innocent Mapuranga, Knox Mutizwa for Rahman Kutsanzira, Welcome Ndiweni for injured Mthulisi Maphosa and Zibande for Charles Sibanda.
Sibanda and Kutsanzira were introduced in the second half for Ndiweni and Mutizwa.

Chicken Inn’s striker Tendai “Kid” Mukambi should have punished Bosso five minutes into the match when hardworking Kudakwashe Mahachi slipped and lost the ball just outside his penalty box but the former’s weak left shot went wide.

The Gamecocks’ striker Mukambi was let down by his first touch in the 18th minute after beating an offside trap off a Moses Jackson long pass but Bosso defenders recovered in time to clear the danger.

Highlanders should have gone to halftime with a healthy lead but fluffed opportunities with Zibande heading straight to the hands of Chicken Inn goalkeeper Liberty Chirava after the quarter-hour mark while Mahachi also had his effort missing the target by inches.

Five minutes before halftime Mutizwa’s lack of anticipation saw him missing the ball unmarked in the 12 yard area with only Chirava to beat and two minutes later Milton Ncube was forced to shoot wide inside the box under surveillance from Jackson.

In the second half Bosso’s performance dropped as Chicken Inn turned on a gear in search of an equaliser with Ishmael Lawe forcing Diya to come off his       line to clear the ball away four minutes into the last stanza.

Just after the hour mark Majika dribbled past Simon Munawa and Dumisani Ndlovu on the left and set a perfect cross into the box which an unmarked Mukambi headed wide.

With 20 minutes left, Mahachi whose workrate should be commended, perked a shot from outside the box which called for desperate defending from Chicken Inn’s defensive pair of Charles Mutero and Ben Nyahunzvi. Zibande’s quick reaction shot was parried for a corner by Chicken Inn’s goalkeeper Chirava.

The introduction of Joel Ngodzo in the 77th minute for an injured Ncube saw Highlanders’ game improve a little as he combined well with Mahachi, Kutsanzira, Sibanda and Mudzingwa, briefly taking charge of the midfield battle.

Chicken Inn’s goal came from nothing as defender Passmore Bernard pumped the ball upfront for Mukambi to chase and a defensive mix-up between Ndlovu and Chindungwe forced Diya to come off his line but instead of one of the defenders covering the goal, they stood and Majika clinically chipped the ball into an empty net.

“We fought to the last minute though we lacked the last touch and failed to create chances. Highlanders were the better side until the last minute when their defenders went to sleep and we capitalised on their mistake.

“Now we have to convert these draws into wins,” said Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas.

Teams
Chicken Inn: Liberty Chirava, Moses Jackson (Passmore Bernard, 72nd minute), Brian Mbiriri, Charles Mutero, Ben Nyahunzvi, Danny Phiri, Thabani Goredema, Canaan Nkomo (Ismael Lawe, 46th minute), Bhekimpilo Ncube (George Majika, 61st minute), Clemence Matawu, Tendai Mukambi

Highlanders: Munyaradzi Diya, Kuda Mahachi, Simon Munawa, Felix Chindungwe, Welcome Ndiweni (Charles Sibanda, 57th minute), Ozias Zibande, Milton Ncube (Joel Ngodzo, 77th minute), Bruce Kangwa, Knox Mutizwa (Rahman Kutsanzira, 65th minute), Dumisani Ndlovu, Eric Mudzingwa

Results at a glance
Yesterday: Hwange 1-0 Black Rhinos, Caps United 2-1 Triangle, Chapungu 1-0 Dynamos, Chicken Inn 1-1 Highlanders
Wednesday: Chiredzi 1-2 How Mine, Harare City 0-1 Buffaloes, Shabanie Mine 1-0 Bantu Rovers, ZPC Kariba 0-0 FC Platinum