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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO giants Highlanders meet old nemesis Dynamos in their next Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match after posting two consecutive wins.
Bosso beat table anchors Border Strikers 2-1 on Sunday following a 2-0 win over How Mine the previous week.

Highlanders’ victory against Strikers took their points tally to 38 from 22 matches, closing the gap between themselves and the table-toppers from eight to six points.

Praising his charges for a good fight against Strikers where they had to come from a goal down, Highlanders’ coach Erol Akbay is hopeful of completing a double over Dynamos.

It will not be an easy outing for Akbay and his boys as Dynamos are on a resurgence following their 1-0 win over Chapungu at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday.

Bosso beat Dynamos 2-0 in the first leg played in May, with goals by Prince Dube and Bruce Kangwa.

“There were a lot of positives from the Border Strikers’ game because we created lots of scoring opportunities and I’m also happy with the way my strikers Ralph Matema, Nhlanhla Ndlovu and Prince Dube played. They positioned themselves well and if they bring that positive attitude for the

Dynamos game, I will be happy because I want to win the game,” said Akbay.

The Highlanders coach also said he was impressed with the mental attitude of his team, especially how they recovered from an early goal they conceded.

Tabwe Kulunga fired Strikers into the lead 12 minutes into the game, but Highlanders hit back through Matema and mid-season signing Ndlovu.

Another Highlanders’ mid-season signing Allen Gahadzikwa, who seems to be settling well, was involved in both Bosso goals.

Gahadzikwa, who scored in last week’s 2-0 win over How Mine, is making Bosso tick and could be a solution to the creativity problems they have been facing since the departure of Bruce Kangwa and Knox Mutizwa during the mid-season window.

While Highlanders could be celebrating their return to winning ways, league leaders FC Platinum should be worried, as they are slowly losing grip on the championship race following two consecutive draws.

The Zvishavane side has seen their lead over second-placed Caps United reduced from five points to just one in the last three weeks.

FC Platinum’s draw against ZPC Kariba put them on 44 points, while Caps United moved to 43 points following a morale boosting win against Triangle United at Gibbo Stadium.

The Green Machine are breathing heavily on FC Platinum’s neck and if the Zvishavane side continues to slip, they will be toppled.

In the relegation battle, second from bottom Tsholotsho finally put an end to their seven-match winless streak by beating How Mine 2-1.

Tsholotsho’s win put them within a point of the reach of Mutare City Rovers, who are third from the bottom with 17 points.

Mutare City Rovers were beaten 0-1 by Bulawayo City at Barbourfields Stadium, while Ngezi Platinum also went down by a similar score line at home to Harare City.

Meanwhile, Chicken Inn plays host to Hwange at Luveve Stadium tomorrow.

The Gamecocks had three players, defenders Teenage Hadebe and Lawrence Mhlanga as well as midfielder Tafadzwa Kutinyu with the national team in Guinea for the dead-rubber 2017 Afcon qualifier.

Results

Saturday: Bulawayo City 1-0 Mutare City Rovers, ZPC Kariba 1-1 FC Platinum, How Mine 1-2 Tsholotsho FC, Harare City 1-0 Ngezi Platinum Stars

Sunday: Triangle United 1-2 Caps United, Dynamos 1-0 Chapungu, Border Strikers 1-2 Highlanders

Fixture

Tomorrow: Chicken Inn v Hwange (Luveve)

– @ZililoR