Monoz dump Bosso out of Mbada Cup

From Ricky Zililo in Hwange

Highlanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) 2

Monomotapa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 3

MONOMOTAPA came from two goals down to dump Highlanders out of the Mbada Cup in a quarter-final soccer tie at the Colliery yesterday. Bhekimpilo Ncube scored a brace for Highlanders with his first coming in the 13th minute before adding a second six minutes later.

Monomotapa scored through Osborne Mukuradare in the 44th minute before Russell Madamombe equalised in the 62nd minute. Hillary Mugoniwa snatched the winner in the 84th minute. Highlanders started the game lively with Mthulisi Maphosa and Masimba Mambare giving the Monomotapa defence a torrid time.

Maphosa shrugged off a challenge in the Monomotapa box in the 13th minute before finding Ncube who ghosted in from behind to give Bosso a deserved lead. On 19 minutes Ncube returned to haunt Monomotapa as he again came from the blind side to score his second goal of the afternoon.

National team goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda dispatched a long clearance which was coolly controlled by Cleopas Dube, who was starting his first game for Bosso, and he passed to Lawson Nkomo who in turn sent an inch perfect pass to Ncube.

And the left-footed big midfielder responded by beating Artwell Mukandi in goal for Monomotapa. Mugoniwa held his head in disbelief in the 24th minute when his goalbound shot was blocked by Nkomo.

Two minutes later Dube could have scored his first goal for Highlanders after being sent through by Maphosa but the striker took too long to shoot at goal. Madamombe forced Sibanda to make a very good save in the 28th minute with a powerful volley from the edge of the box.

Sibanda was called to keep the scoresheet clean when he denied Madamombe in the 43rd minute after his effort deflected off Eric Mudzingwa. Mukuradare reduced the arrears for Monomotapa in the 43rd minute with a header off Ronald Chitiyo’s corner.

Monomotapa returned from the breather a more determined side and were duly rewarded in the 52nd minute when Madamombe’s free-kick from the edge of the box was punched into the back of the net by Sibanda.

From there on Highlanders tried to come back into the game but found the Monomotapa defence watertight. Dube saw his effort from inside the box missing the target in the 78th minute.

Mugoniwa scored what could be the contender for goal of the tournament when he beat one man on the edge of the box before letting a powerful volley which beat Sibanda all systems out. Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu blamed the loss on lack of concentration by his players.

“I don’t think the issue of the players’ strike had a bearing on the result because we started the game well. We scored two early goals but somewhere, somehow we lost concentration as the players got tired in the second half. Now we have missed an opportunity to get more incentives,” said Kaindu.

Highlanders players were on industrial action for a week before resuming training on Wednesday. They failed to match Monomotapa’s pace due to lack of fitness. Monomotapa coach Biggie Zuze was a happy man.

“This is good for us we are now in the running for the final. The players had a lot of confidence coming into today’s game as we beat Highlanders in a league game. We knew that Highlanders players could not keep up with the pace of my players for the whole 90 minutes. Even when we were two goals down, we knew we would bounce back,” said Zuze.

Monomotapa will face CAPS United in the semi-final. For bowing out in the quarter-finals, Bosso will get US$20 000. The Chronicle