Mighty Bulls stomp past Bosso at BF

By Ricky Zililo

Highlanders …………(1) 2  Motor Action ………..(1) 3

HIGHLANDERS’ coach Mohamed Fathi said he was not a magician to turn around the fortunes of the club alone after seeing his charges level scores twice but still go down to Motor Action in a league match at Barbourfields yesterday.

The log leaders, Mighty Bulls, handed Bosso their first home defeat of the season and took their points tally to 29, four points clear of second-placed Dynamos. Fathi, however, maintained that the race was still open despite registering four victories, three draws and five defeats.

“I am not a magician. Coaching is part of my job and I need to motivate the boys. I am going to meet the executive so that we find a better way of coming up with better results. Losing is part of football, even if we lost today this is only week 12 and there are 18 more games to play,” Fathi said.

He also blamed the loss on the absence of Zephaniah Ngodzo, Lawson Nkomo and Gift Lunga who are nursing injuries. Motor Action scored three brilliant goals coming after intelligent build-ups. Bosso twice came from behind but could not snatch a point from a determined Motor Action.

The Bulls got their first goal from the boot of William Kupera who got to the end of a rebound that the Highlanders defenders failed to clear outside the box in the sixth minute.

Motor Action had ventured upfront with captain Bhekimpilo Ncube orchestrating moves from the midfield, combining well with Kupera who played the ball to Charles Sibanda on the left.

Sibanda, a former Highlanders juniors striker, sent in a cross that was only cleared into the path of Kupera and he made no mistake and punished the home team by lobbing the ball over an exposed Highlanders goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda.

Bosso got their equaliser five minutes before the break when the industrious Protasho Kabwe fired the ball past the Mighty Bulls goalkeeper Marlon Jani from close range after being unselfishly set up by striker Francis Kanda who had got to the end of a Rahman Kutsanzira pass from the right.

Kutsanzira had taken the ball from the visitors’ leftback Milton Ncube. Ten minutes after the breather, Allan Gahadzikwa made it two for the Bulls when his long range free kick deflected off defender Innocent Mapuranga’s head and beat a diving Ariel.

Bosso kept on fighting and skipper Gilbert Banda put his team level in the 72nd minute when his header from a Kabwe corner kick beat Jani. Gahadzikwa made sure that Mighty Bulls collected maximum points when he scored the winner in the 81st minute. Both teams displayed some good football but it was Motor Action who played more meaningful football as they defended and attacked as a team.

The absence of workaholic midfielder Erick Mudzingwa was heavily felt by Bosso as their midfielders failed to win most midfield battles. Fathi used Mernard Mupera as the team’s anchorman and while the player did well, the home team were always second best in midfield.

Enasio Perezo could not believe it when he missed in front of a yawning goal in the 22nd minute after getting to the end of a Ncube cross. Motor Action anchorman Edward Tembo was lucky not to beat his goalkeeper in the 28th minute after his attempt to head a Kutsanzira corner to safety saw the ball scrape paint off the woodwork.

Kutsanzira, who had a good game, was unlucky not to register on the score sheet in the 88th minute when his strike missed the target by inches with Jani a beaten man. Bosso pushed all their men upfront searching for an equaliser but could not break a Norman Njelele-marshaled defence.

Motor Action head coach Joey Antipas had no kind words for Bosso whom he described as a small team.

“Highlanders are just a mere team, it’s only a name left. They gave us a good run for our money especially in the first half. I think we gave them too much room to operate but when we got into the groove, we took the game away and I am happy the boys played well,” Antipas said.

Teams

Highlanders: A Sibanda, G Banda, B Ndlovu, B Dube, I Mapuranga, M Mupera, R Kutsanzira, J Ngodzo (B Kangwa 55th minute), F Kanda (C Tsodzo 77th minute), P Kabwe, D Zimbago (S Gate 66th minute)

Motor Action: M Jani, P Bernard, W Kupera (I Masame 78th minute), E Tembo, M Ncube, A Gahadzikwa, E Perezo, C Sibanda (M Longwe 90th minute), B Ncube, T Ndlovu, N Njelele.