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Innocent Kurira at Barbourfields Stadium

Highlanders 1-1 Ngezi Platinum

HIGHLANDERS missed out on an opportunity to close the gap at the top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League table after they were held to a stalemate by visiting league champions Ngezi Platinum Stars with Melikhaya Ncube missing a second-half penalty.

A win for Bosso would have seen them jump into third place on the log standings, but they had to settle for a point and now sit just one point behind Ngezi Platinum.

Bosso remained in fourth place with 37 points while Ngezi Platinum maintained their third place spot with 38 points.

The Bulawayo giants were the first to find the back of the net through Brighton Ncube with a shot from the edge of the box in the 38th minute.

Ngezi would go on to level matters with 51 minutes played through a header from second-half substitute Claude Mapoka.

Mapoka was assisted by another substitute, Tinotenda Meke.

Highlanders had some glaring changes to their regular set-up as goalkeeper Reward Muza was handed the captain’s armband while Andrew Mbeba was left out of the match day squad.

Head coach Kelvin Kaindu could not convincingly explain the reasons behind the captaincy issue and Mbeba’s absence.

“The last game we had Melikhaya as the captain against Chegutu, today we had Reward. We will try and do a rotation for the time being. We can’t get into detail why we are doing that. With regards to Andrew Mbeba, we have so many players that have not been in the team, and if you ask me today why Andrew Mbeba is not in the team, then I don’t know.

“We have so many players that have been out and we want to treat each player equally, every player in the team is important.

So, it would be difficult for me to comment why Andrew Mbeba is not part of the team because there have been other players that have not been selected so we want to have a team that believes in every player and every player that we have is very important to the team,” said Kaindu.

On the other hand, Ngezi Platinum head coach Takesure Chiragwi was pleased with a point away from home.

“I think it was a good fight from the boys. It was a good fight looking at the fact that we came from a goal down. It was unfortunate that we lost a bit of concentration when we conceded the goal. We made some substitutions after the break an impact for us,” said Chiragwi.

Bosso was the better of the two sides at the start of the game. They were the first to threaten inside the first minute with Nqobile Ndlovu’s tame effort with the head easily collected by Nelson Chadya in goals for Ngezi Platinum.

In the sixth minute, a Muza service found Ncube who was intercepted while running into the box.

A minute later, following a brilliant interchange of passes in the box, Mckinnon Mushore’s square pass found no takers and it went to waste.

Inside the first 10 minutes, Ngezi got two corner kicks which they failed to capitalise on.

Ndlovu’s curler from inside the box in the 15th minute was aptly dealt with by Chadya who punched it away for a corner kick which went to waste.

In the 25th minute, Qadr Amini’s free kick was comfortably saved by Muza, in goals for Highlanders.
Soon after, Bosso got yet another opportunity but Ncube’s header went over the bar, after he couldn’t connect well with the ball.

At the half-hour mark, Nigel Makumbe came close to breaking the deadlock for the visitors but was denied by the crossbar.

Moments later, a Godfrey Makaruse volley from outside the box was punched away for a corner kick by Chadya.
Soon after Bosso scored, Sibanda thought he had doubled the lead but his joy was short lived as the goal was disqualified for offside.

It would go to the break with the hosts leading one nil. Fifteen minutes after Ngezi had found the equaliser, Bosso were awarded a penalty after Marvin Sibanda was adjudged to have been brought down in the box.

Melikhaya Ncube would go on to have his weak effort from the spot saved by Chadya. Prior to the penalty save, Brighton Ncube had his flick from the near post saved.

Bosso would go on to survive a late strike from Madamburo after Tanaka Benhura’s header was cleared off the line by Marvelous Chigumira.

Teams

Highlanders: Reward Muza (gk), Marvelous Chigumira, Mckinnon Mushore, Marvin Sibanda (Marvin Sibanda, 83mins), Godfrey Makaruse (Prince Ndlovu, 75mins), Peter Muduhwa, Nqobile Ndlovu, Archford Faira, Authur Ndlovu, Brighton Ncube (Lynoth Chikuhwa, 83mins), Melikhaya Ncube.

Ngezi Platinum: Nelson Chadya (gk), Marvelous Mukombwe, Leslie Kashitigu, Malvern Hativagoni, Qadr Amini (Gareth Madhake, 46mins),Nigel Mukombe (Tinotenda Meke, 46mins), Farai Madhananga, Richard Hachiro, Obriel Chirinda, Tinotenda Murasiranwa (Claude Mapoka, 46mins), Kudzai Chigwida.