Chicken Inn stun Bosso

From Sikhumbuzo Moyo in Bulawayo

Highlanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1

UTTER rubbish and disgraceful is how one can best describe Highlanders’ striker Charles Sibanda’s behaviour yesterday after showing open defiance when he walked straight to the dressing room and then to the terraces following his 53rd minute substitution.

With Chicken Inn leading by a solitary strike from George Majika, who scored a beauty a minute into the second half, stand-in coach Mark Mathe called Sibanda to the bench but in an unsportsmanlike behaviour, the former Soccer Star of the Year did not even greet his colleagues but went straight to the dressing room where he stayed for about five minutes.

When he came out, he went up to the terraces to join his teammates who were not part of the playing squad.

However, fans would not have it and bayed for his blood as they accused him of disrespecting them and the institution.

The more militant Northern End supporters charged enmasse to where Sibanda was seated, leading to his friends to advising him to move to the VIP area where he sat just below Bulawayo businessman Worthwhile Mugabe.

But still the Bosso fans were not reneging as they kept on hauling insults at him until Mugabe also asked him to go and seek refuge from a ZRP detail who was at the VIP tribune.

City businessman and Highlanders member Donald Ndebele whisked Sibanda back to the bench.

“The behaviour is totally unacceptable and we shall definitely take action. As a club we have disciplinary procedures,” said Mathe adding that no one, him included, was bigger than Highlanders.

Commenting last night on Sibanda’s action, Highlanders chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede said they will announce the club’s position after today’s meeting with the technical team.

“We first have to get a report from the technical team and then after that, we shall be in a position to announce our position,” said Gumede.

Sibanda had earlier on during the first half defied Mathe when he refused to come to the touchline for some instructions.

In 2011 Sibanda, when he was with FC Platinum, paid an admission of guilty fine after he poured urine on the then Chicken Inn coach, the late Adam Ndlovu.

Away from the Sibanda lunacy, Highlanders displayed a better show than their previous games but it was Chicken Inn who capitalised on their chance that saw them bag three points.

The Gamecocks almost went ahead as early as the 11th minute when skipper Danny Phiri sent in a curling free-kick just outside the box after he was fouled but Munyaradzi Diya was equal to the task. Diya was the third goalkeeper in three matches for the beleaguered Highlanders.

In the 28th minute ageing former captain Innocent Mapuranga miscued a ball on the edge of the box and the ball fell to Clemence Matawu who found himself face-to-face with an advancing Diya who did well to block the ball for a corner.

Ozias Zibande was introduced during the start of the second half, replacing former Tsholotsho forward Kuda Machazane in a bid to open the Chicken Inn defence that had Brian Mbiriri outstanding.

But it was to be Majika who broke the hearts of the Highlanders fans when he found himself with acres of space outside the box.

Majika charged forward before unleashing a curling shot that beat a diving Diya all systems out.

“You cant blame the goalkeeper there, the ball was well taken,” said How Mine coach Luke Masomere who was part of the crowd at Hartsfield.

The 67th minute saw the introduction of Munyaradzi King Nadolo for ginger-haired Welcome Ndiweni and Bosso started probing forward with intention.

Mutizwa produced what could be the miss of the season when he shot completely wide in the 77th minute from a face-to-face situation with the goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze. The Under-23 international was actually inside the 12-yard-box when he directed his shot to the left side of goal.

Five minutes earlier, Bosso’s star midfielder Felix Chindungwe, who had an interesting duel with Thabani Goredema in the middle of the park, had watched in agony as his shot hit the upright post.

“We put up a fine display and I felt we deserved to win it,” said Chicken Inn coach Joe Antipas.

He conceded that Bosso put them under pressure in the last 10 minutes of the game.

“Our midfield was compact, it was our strongest area,” said Antipas.

Mathe, who blamed the goal on lapse of concentration on the part of his players, said lady luck was eluding him.

“We played well but it’s only that we seem to be lacklustre, in football you need luck sometimes. It’s not about my incompetence really,” said Mathe who has lost three matches in a row now.

In an interview with The Chronicle after the match Sibanda admitted that he had lost his temper. He said he was beginning to come to grips with his game when he was asked to be substituted for young Knox Mutizwa in the 53rd minute.

He admitted that talk of his move to Dynamos was getting to his head and painting him as an enemy of the Highlanders family. Sibanda said there has not been any talk with Dynamos for him to move to Harare as his sole goal is to move outside the country.

Sibanda apologised to Bosso’s multitude of fans for his schoolboy behaviour which incensed the fans yesterday.

“I am sorry to the fans and the club for what happened. The coaches have every right to be angry with my behaviour. The truth is that I have been feeling lots of pressure after goals have run dry. I always try my best to help the team win, but today I felt supporters were against me as they kept on shouting that I am a traitor who is leaving for Dynamos.

“The truth is that no one from Dynamos has ever approached me. If I am to leave the club it will be an outside move as I came to Highlanders to win things. I am hungry to win the top goalscorers’ award. I am on 12 goals and the next man is a goal shy. My plea is for the fans to rally behind us especially now when we are trying hard to get back to winning ways,” said Sibanda. The Chronicle

Teams

Highlanders: M. Diya, B. Kangwa, I. Mapuranga, D. Ndlovu, S. Munawa, F. Chindungwe, C. Sibanda (K. Mutizwa 53rd minute), P. Manhanga, K. Machazane (O. Zibande 46th minute), H. Moyo, W. Ndiweni (M. Nadolo 72nd minute)

Chicken Inn: E. Chipezeze, M. Jackson, I. Lawe (M. Dube 90th minute), B. Mbiriri, D. Phiri, C. Matawu (C. Nkomo 80th minute), B. Ncube, J. Bernard, G. Majika (T. Banda 60th minute), L. Mhlanga, T. Goredema