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TO many, it was an ordinary Sunday with nothing to write home about. To many football fans, it was a big Sunday for those in Harare where resurgent Caps United were to take on bitter rivals Dynamos. To many football fans in Bulawayo, it was just an ordinary Sunday where Highlanders were expected to romp to a routine win at Barbourfields Stadium.

It was a case of going to the venue to seek revenge after the Bulawayo giants lost the tussle in the first half of the season, going down 2-1 in what was a shock result in football circles as they lost to Premiership newcomers, How Mine.

Now the stage was set for them to avenge the defeat, coming from a league win over Monomotapa at the same venue and to many Bosso faithfuls, it was never going to be a David versus Goliath affair, but a question of avenging the loss in the first half of the season and keeping the dream of winning the league title since 2006 alive.

While Caps United gave it their all and livened the Harare derby though they lost 0-1 to defending champions Dynamos, who are now firm favourites to win the title again and make it three times in a row, it was a different story at Emagumeni where Highlanders appeared with heavy legs all afternoon and left their fans convinced that they are not championship material, unless something extra-ordinary happens.

The way they went about their business, squandering chances when it appeared easier to score than to miss, left their coach at the mercy of the club’s die-hard faithfuls, and you can only feel sorry for Kelvin Kaindu because he can not go into the pitch and convert the chances that went begging all afternoon.

Former club star and manager, Zenzo Moyo, summed it up in an interview with a local daily during the week. “As legends we don’t want to point fingers. This is not the right time, but we have players who are lacking ability to deliver. I don’t want to mention names, but our players have no sense of belonging to Highlanders.

We can not be blaming the coach or the manager for the results. Our players don’t know what it means to fight for and put on that jersey.

They don’t see that Highlanders can open doors for them. Instead they are crying out for little sums of money in winning bonuses. Highlanders is a big club that can take you places and win you big bonuses elsewhere. We didn’t have money when we played for Highlanders, but we were committed and we knew what those jerseys meant.”

Looking at the race for honours, it appears it will take a serious deep in form for Dynamos for any other team to wrest the title from them, and as for Highlanders, the players will certainly need some serious self inspection and some bit of divine intervention to pick themselves up and launch a serious assault for the title.

How do they explain losing home and away to little How Mine? Of course, the gold miners have become their bogey side after Sunday’s 1-0 win, thanks to a Warren Dube second half strike, but how does the current crop of players explain being the first to lose six points to league newcomers in history?

I asked a number of grey hairs during the week and no one was able to recall the last time Bosso lost a league match home and away to the same team and this should tell you the amount of pain inflicted on the Bosso family by How Mine.

It could be painful for those whose heart beats to the rhythm of the black and white army, but if you were at Barbourfields on Sunday you will concur with us that with that kind of allround performance, you can not win the title. And should Bosso go to face Triangle in the first round of the Mbada Diamonds Cup with that attitude, they will be booted out in the first round.

If those players have not been told, somebody must tell them because they are actually defrauding thousands of fans who pay their hard earned money to watch them under-perform.

You have to get me right, there is nothing wrong with losing a match and no team is invincible, but it all depends on how you lose. If you go down fighting, fans and neutrals will sympathise with you but when you find yourselves in a situation whereby your own fans have turned against you, then you know you are in serious trouble.

It does not need a rocket scientist that Highlanders need to inject new blood into the team, and do away with shopping players who have gone past their sell by date. You at times feel sorry for the technical department because it baffles the mind why all teams in the city are made up of nearly 50 percent former Bosso players, and they are now stronger on paper than Highlanders, which suggests that someone in the office is not doing their job right in keeping potential quality at the club.

On Sunday, How Mine had five former Bosso players in the starting Eleven, captain Gilbert Banda, Hebert Dick, right back Brighton Dube, midfielder Menard Mupera and goal scorer Warren Dube.

You go to neighbours Chicken Inn, you also realise they have benefited from Highlanders’ investment in junior development as they have Zephaniah Ngodzo, Guide Goddard, Kudakwashe Mahachi, among others. FC Platinum are other big beneficiaries with the likes of Thabani Kamusoko, Joel Ngodzo and Welcome Ndiweni.

In fact, products from the club are scattered across the country with Triangle even having one.
However, despite losing their sixth league match of the season, coach Kaindu is still adamant that they are still in the running for the title.

And by the way, this is the team that only lost once last season and lost the title by goal difference to Dynamos.
“It’s still a long way to go, nine games to be exact and the other good thing for us is that we are still to play the top two sides,” he said, suggesting that his boys will have to fight tooth and nail to down Dynamos, Harare City and FC Platinum, of which Dynamos and FC Platinum will be coming down to Barbourfields.

Nonetheless, club fans took to media social networks to vent their frustrations at the team’s poor run.

Edwin Matema analysed the team’s recent run; “Out of a possible 12 points we only managed one point in derbies. Poor tactical decision, misses and poor decision making cost us the (How Mine) game, Rio (Peter Moyo) was the best player on view and there wasn’t any for the coach to keep on inter changing positions, moving him to flanks, bringing in Njabulo (Ncube) was not going to change the game because he hardly makes any runs off ball or the coach should have taken out Mthulisi (Maphosa) earlier as these days he is off form, poor passing and losing position unnecessarily.

I wonder why Fazo (Dumisani Ndlovu) always backpedals every time he is facing strikers and today as he was backpedalling he allowed a How Mine player to cross ball leading to their goal. Mambare (Masimba) off the ball running is poor, I wonder why he drifts to the line instead of trying to go in between defenders.

But top marks to Peter and Bruce Kangwa, they were very outstanding, also Captain (Innocent Mapuranga) tried his best towards the end but we won’t win championship as long as we are dropping points at home. I still believe.”

However, another fan, Willard Khanye blamed the players. “I was there at BF. I personally think we lost it on wasted chances notable one Gabriel’s (Nyoni) chance on the opening stages, Mambare eSoweto side, eish how did Bheki (Ncube) miss that one eMpilo end. Ok fine kuyatholakala ebhoreni (it’s part of the game).

I also think using Gabriel as a lone striker versus experienced Gidza and Dick was suicidal. In the midfield Rio did justice to his role but Mthulisi did not complement his effort. Fazo cost us when he back pedalled resulting in that goal. Siyabuya (we will come back).
Nomore Tapera blamed the players for lack of fighting spirit.

“ To tell the truth our team lacks fighting spirit compared to the one eyabo Zenzo (Moyo) and company. They can’t utilíse half chances. Losing at BF is now normal. We need to up our game.”

But you have to give it to How Mine for wanting the win more than their more illustrious opponents. Their backline was better organised with Dick and Banda at the centre, Khumbulani Banda on the left and Dube on the right and with Mupera playing a holding role in the centre.

They were able to wait for Bosso to enjoy possession and then pounce on them on counter attacks and they looked dangerous each time Simba Sithole won possession upfront.

And on paper, they are not a bad side, they have some measure of quality in the likes of the two Bandas, Dubes, Dick, Mupera and Sithole upfront.

It was Philani “Beefy” Ncube’s first win over Bosso as a coach and you have to give him a pat on the back for showing that he has what it takes to fight with big boys in the league. You also have to applaud the management at How Mine for their spirited efforts in building a strong side, preparing hard for the big league after winning the Division One championship and you could sense that they were really on cloud nine after the final whistle at BF.

And you have to give credit where it is due because which team has ever beaten Bosso home and away in one season?
The league programme will take another break to pave way for the cup competitions and this means that teams will not get a chance to correct their mistakes from recent league games because the game plan changes when in a cup competition. But nevertheless, no one still wants to lose.

The big fight is on this afternoon in Zvishavane where FC Platinum clash with Shabanie in the final of the BancABC. It’s a derby and the small town will be on fire today. May the best team win.

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