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Ricky Zililo in BULAWAYO

Highlanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  0

ZPC Kariba  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   0

HIGHLANDERS yesterday disappointed thousands of their followers who attended their first match of Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season at Barbourfields Stadium as they failed to crack visiting ZPC Kariba in a drab deadlock.

For ZPC Kariba, the point picked up at Emagumeni, once a fortress for Highlanders, was a big achievement as they now go into their second match of the Castle Lager Premiership season with their heads held high.

So disappointing were Highlanders that they seem to have deviated from their traditional entertaining passing football, which usually mesmerises their followers.

Playing 24 hours after their old foes Dynamos had picked up valuable three points at the same stadium, having beaten Hwange 1-0 courtesy of a goal by former Highlanders forward Tinashe Makanda, Bosso were wasteful at goal. Had the visitors been more aggressive, they could have returned home with maximum points.

However, despite failing to open up ZPC Kariba, Highlanders should have at least taken a lead within the opening eight minutes but their striker Washington Navaya blew up two glorious opportunities that any forward worth his salt should have buried.

In the third minute, Lynoth Chikuhwa broke on the left side, did well to lift his head and send a cross to the right, where Navaya was making a run, and only to fail to direct his header on target.

Five minutes later, Navaya fluffed another glorious scoring opportunity, doing injustice to a good build up that involved Ray Lunga and Divine Mhindirira.

The Highlanders playmaker Mhindirira, who played as a false number nine, threaded a perfect defence-splitting pass that brought Navaya one-on-one with ZPC Kariba’ goalkeeper Tapiwa Chilenga. But the wasteful Bosso forward shot straight at the goalie.

In the 43rd minute, ZPC Kariba threw all their players to defend in a goalmouth melee, with some sections of the stadium thinking that the ball had crossed the line, but there was no breakthrough for the hosts.

After the break, Bosso substitute Stanley Ngala, unmarked in the box, headed wide a delivery from Ray Lunga.

Highlanders’ assistant coach Antonio Torres, who was in the terraces alongside Joel Luphahla with Madinda Ndlovu on the touchline, felt that ZPC Kariba wasted a lot of time that the match officials should have added.

“We dropped two points and now we have to make sure that we try and get a win in our next game. You see, in football time is gold and if you’re a team that doesn’t fight for big goals, picking a point is a job well done. If you look at how much time was wasted in the first half and the referee only added two minutes, that is not good for football,” said Torres.

ZPC Kariba’s coach Darlington Dodo was full of praise for his lads.

“The boys really gave a good shift. As the game went on, we had to manage the game well to go home with a point. We couldn’t open up play because doing so against a team like Highlanders could be costly,” said Dodo.

Teams

Highlanders: Ariel Sibanda, Andrew Mbeba, Archiford Faira (McKinnon Mushore 67 mins), Peter Muduhwa, Mbongeni Ndlovu, Melikhaya Ncube, Ray Lunga (Godfrey Makaruse 74 mins), Devine Mhindirira, Lynoth Chikuhwa, Darlington Mukuli (Rahman Kutsanzira 86 mins), Washington Navaya (Stanley Ngala 46 mins)

ZPC Kariba: Tapiwa Chilenga, Kuzivakwashe Madima, Munyaradzi Diro Nyenye, Boid Mutukure, Collen Muleya, Winston Mhango, Leeroy Murape (Samuel Makawa 90 mins), Forster Dhemere (Tellmore Pio 90 mins), Everson Feremba (Moses Demera 57 mins), Tinotenda Chiunye (Fanuel Shoko 82 mins minute), Melvin Mukiwa.