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IT’S ALL GLOOMY . . . The Highlanders bench parades a number of sad faces, during their league match against Harare City, which the Bulawayo giants needed to win to be champions but, somehow, saw them collapsing to a 0-4 defeat. — Picture by William Mafunga.

Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
GIANTS Highlanders’ miserable run of four straight losses has left players confused as a campaign that held so much promise at the beginning of the year has crumbled.
Bosso, who were ranked among the favourites in all competitions this year following a strong foundation laid by Zambian coach Kelvin Kaindu in the last two years, could end the season empty-handed.

The Bulawayo giants’ hopes for silverware were severely dashed when they crashed to a huge 0-3 defeat at the hands of Harare City in the semi-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup at Rufaro on Sunday.

The defeat marked an abysmal run, which ironically started with a 1-0 loss to the Sunshine Boys in a league match at the same venue, on September 20.
Highlanders have been going through a dark period in the last month.

They are also out of contention for the league championship after falling 10 points behind leaders Dynamos with five games remaining.

Their new skipper Ariel Sibanda, who was back in the starting line-up after missing last week’s 4-0 league drubbing by CAPS United, said it was difficult for the players to understand what really went wrong to a campaign that held so much promise.

Bosso recently parted ways with Zambian mentor Kaindu, but it appears their problems are deep-seated as hopes of turning around the fortunes under caretaker coach Mark Mathe appear grim.

Veteran Cosmos Zulu joined the side last week as technical advisor and was there on Sunday when they crashed out of the Chibuku Super Cup.

Sibanda is worried by the untimely loss of form but remains convinced that Bosso will bounce back from the rough patch.

“What I can say is that everyone is a bit confused. No one knows what is happening. We have never experienced such a thing in a long time,” said Sibanda.

“It’s hard for us but we will try hard.

“As for the championship, it’s only in the hands of God so we just hope for a recovery maybe in the next three or four games we will be able to pick up ourselves.

“I can’t say there is a problem as such.

“It’s just a bad spell that we are going through. I don’t know, but with the attitude that we have in camp I think we can rise.”

Bosso were among the few privileged teams to take part in a number of knock-out tournaments that included the Bob90 Super Cup, TM Pick n’ Pay, Independence Cup, GC Msipa Cup, NetOne One Wallet, ZNA Charities and the Chibuku Super Cup but they failed to make a mark.

Their only hope now is in securing a top four place to play in the Mbada Diamonds Cup but if their recent poor run is anything to go, their season is as good as finished.

Bosso have performed poorly of late, conceding 11 goals and scoring one in their last four competitive matches.

Beginning with the 1-0 loss to Harare City, which was followed by a 3-1 home defeat to newboys ZPC Kariba, Highlanders’ campaign appeared to have lost direction and they decided to part ways with Kaindu.

But that decision was followed by their biggest defeat of the season when they went down 0-4 to CAPS United before the 0-3 humbling by Harare City in the Chibuku Super Cup.

Highlanders have since dropped to fourth on the log standings with 39 points.

It appears a top four finish is now tricky as Chicken Inn, FC Platinum and Hwange are fighting for that place with 37 and 38 points.

As it stands, Bosso are now most likely to end the season without a trophy in their cabinet but Mathe remains defiant.

“Naturally, we are worried as coaches, as an institution and our multitude of fans. But the only thing we can do is go back to the drawing board, like I said after the game against CAPS United.

“Yes, against CAPS we conceded four and now we conceded three. We need to stop making those mistakes.

“We need to stop being generous, we are too generous. The sooner we up our game mentally, physically and playing-wise the better for us.

“We need the shortest possible time and show the mental strength that comes with playing for a big club like Highlanders.

The players just have to believe in themselves more and not tell themselves that we are playing for a lost cause.

“They have to believe that the season is still on and there is still a lot to play for. We still have got the Mbada and 15 points to play for. We cannot afford to look down,” said Mathe.