Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS coach Bongani Mafu says they have a surprise for rivals CAPS United when the sides meet in a league match at Barbourfields tomorrow.
The Bulawayo giants have an axe to grind with the Green Machine as they suffered in the pre-season Bob91 Super Cup play-off at the same venue. This was Mafu’s first official game after taking charge of the team at the beginning of the year. The former Zimbabwe Saints mentor, who has been instructed by his bosses at Highlanders to stop engaging the media in order to defuse pressure, yesterday could not hide the emotions surrounding this fixture.
“I’m not going to say too much. Sometimes, in talking too much that’s when you lose the plot. What I can only say is that we are going to be a surprise package on Sunday.
“We are going to try as much as we can to reverse what CAPS United did to us during the pre-season. That’s all,” said Mafu.
Highlanders are looking to rise from a slow start under Mafu. The pressure has been mounting but the 1-0 win in their previous outing to newboys Dongo Sawmill should have helped lift spirits in the Bosso camp.
Bosso have managed 10 points in so far.
Mafu has had to deal with a lot injuries to his key players. And tomorrow, veteran forward Obadiah Tarumbwa, who scored the consolation against Makepekepe in the Bob 91 Super Cup, will not be available for selection due to injury.
The duo of Simba Sithole and Ozias Zibande are coming from long injury lay-offs and the coach will use his discretion.
Gabriel Nyoni and talented Zimbabwe youth international Thomas Chideu, who could have been wearing the Green Machine jersey if his move was successful during the off-season, have been regulars in Mafu’s team.
Highlanders have only found the target three times in six starts and conceded the same number of goals, thanks to an organised defence marshalled by Felix Chindungwe and Young Warriors centreback Teenage Hadebe.
CAPS United have also had a slow start this year. They have not won in their last four league assignments, one of them against How Mine was boycotted by players demanding their dues. However, the Green Machine coach Mark Harrison said they are looking to turn things around in Bulawayo.
“Highlanders haven’t been scoring more and they haven’t been conceding either. So I think it’s going to be difficult to break them down,” said Harrison.
“But without doubt we need to improve on our finishing. That’s what cost us the game last time. We should have won the game by four or five goals. Even the ZPC Kariba coach admitted the same.
“So we have been doing a bit of work this week on crossing and finishing. The nice thing is we have been creating good chances but the negative is we didn’t finish them. We are trying to work on that and hopefully it might pay dividends on Sunday (tomorrow,” said Harrison.
Makepekepe are likely to miss some of the key players like Carlton Munzabwa, Ronald Pfumbidzai, Leonard Tsipa and Ashley Rambanapasi. There were also doubts over Rodreck Mutuma and Stephen Makatuka but the bulk of players like captain Hardlife Zvirekwi, Moses Muchenje, Gerald Phiri, Takudzwa Mahori, Dominic Mukandi and Bulawayo boy Crispen Machisi are all expected to be available for selection.