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Nkosilathi Sibanda, [email protected]

Highlanders 1-Caps United 1

MORE like what all Highlanders fans felt yesterday, the team’s coach Baltemar Brito left Barbourfields Stadium lamenting on the worst show of a match that he has ever seen in his career.

Highlanders were home to Caps United in a game that ended in a one all stalemate, in what irked Brito and made him to benchmark his “good” history in football and label his boys’ showing as the worst.

He was disappointed and so were the team’s fans who watched the game and those far and wide.

No joy is in sight at the Bulawayo giants’ camp and the black and white legion of fans are looking for answers to how their beloved team is losing its grip on the Premiership campaign they led so well in the first-half of the season, only to lose the hold on the home stretch.

Bosso have gone six games failing to win, a sharp contrast to a 19 game unbeaten run in the first-half of the season that made them contenders for the championship.

With all their might, Bosso should have made it a sweet Sunday treat, but failed to convert the many chances that came their way and paid for it.

Caps United being the first to blast the nets off the foot of seasoned Rodwell Chinyengetere in the 14th minute, pressure mounted on the home side.

Disappointment read well on as many faces on the spectators’ gallery.

Mason Mushore in the 58th minute was the lad who lessened the tension on the home side, as he made no mistakes from outside the edge to slot in a beauty to get the match back to parity.

The fan attendance was low. There were huge gaps in the Soweto and Empankweni terraces, where Bosso’s faithfuls occupy. In part, that was due to how Bosso have slumped in form in recent months. Nothing so good could be written from a team who multitude of fans have stood by in the season.

For all the misery that piled on Bosso and the disappointment on Brito’s neck, credit all due went to Marvelous Chigumira, the half deadlocked player whose precision at passing carried Highlanders through.

Chigumira is one player who book makers on the day, must have cloaked a fortune on, for he played well, only to be outdone by his mates who visibly were off from to read his intentions.

The failure to convert good balls on the third mark of the field is what got Brito worried. In fact, the coach turned red as he witnessed how weak his boys are.

He preferred to plainly say he has never experienced such in his stint. The so many goals that Bosso have endured on the trot, have left the coach a disturbed man, much to the down-low of his so grand reputation.

Brito cited lack of confidence for his players’ failure to handle the match.

“I have never seen this. This is the first time in my life that I have to face such a circumstance. So many draws. If we assess the game, Caps United, in the first-half they did just one kick and made a goal. In the second-half we were better, created more and had many chances. Unfortunately we scored one goal. Such is football life.

“So, I take it as lack of attitude, because the boys, they fight and do their best at training sessions. But, lack of confidence is one of the areas we should address, one by one each player. In general, we think this is to do much more with personality. In the second-half, we had opportunities to win the game. We are sad about the draw, as we have set targets as we would have wanted to finish the season better,” said Brito.

In the Caps United camp, nothing was more sweeter for their coach Lloyd Chitembwe than to get on the road with a point earned against Highlanders, a team he knows fully was not going to go down with a fight.

Chitembwe had kind words for his opponents. He had his thumbs up for Bosso’s spirited show but, as a leader who must show allegiance to the Green machine, he was all smiles to all his players.

The point gained on the road was enough for him to remind all that Caps United is a big brand in the Castle Lager Premiership.

“It’s always never easy playing against Highlanders, especially at Barbourfields. We really wanted to control the game as we had dominance of the pitch in the first-half,” said Chitembwe.

Equally so good, Caps United’s front men were all out to make sure every ball made an impact on the goal mouth. As much as Bosso piled pressure, the Makepekepe gang also had a fair

show of brilliance, to the applause of Chitembwe.

The Green Machine coach said he was aware that Bosso were to come back in the second stanza a rejuvenated lot.

“We knew they were going to come back at us, since they were chasing the game. The anticipation was correct. Unfortunately we kept dropping in our half and that invited problems. We conceded unnecessary free kicks and that gave Highlanders a good chance. We know them as a team that efficient in terms of set pieces,” said Chitembwe.

The veteran gaffer, as honest as he was, said his charges could have done better to defend the Highlanders goal.

“I am sure it was our ball, deep in our own half. We lost possession. How we lost it is still a mystery. I don’t know how it happened. Thereafter we could not track the marker. It was a well taken equaliser,” said the coach.

Goals by Chinyengetere in the first-half and an equally good one from Mushore for Bosso in the second-half were all there was.

In the first leg of the Castle Lager Premiership in July at Barbourfields, Highlanders won it 2-1. By the time, the Bulawayo giants were still enjoying a good unbeaten run in the campaign.

However, much deserves mention on how Caps United put up a performance to dent Highlanders’ highly ambitious wish to win all its remaining games.

Teams
Highlanders:  A Sibanda (gk), M Chigumira, R Kutsanzira (A Faira, 75mins), C Chigonero (R Lunga, 63mins), L Chikuhwa (E Farasi, 75mins), M Mushore, B Manhire (W Navaya, 63mins), M Mushore, A Mbeba, M Ndlovu, M Ncube.
Caps United:  A Reynars (gk), A Manokore, I Zambezi, H Chapusha, L Manganyira, P Bamusi (J Daka, 75mins), J Tulani, R Chinyengetere, W Manondo (B Sarupinda, 66mins), C Sithole.
— @NkosieLegend