Bulls face Bosso as Dembare take on Victoria

By Eddie Chikamhi

LEADERS Motor Action face yet another stern test of their pedigree to win their maiden championship when they host in-form Highlanders at Motor Action Sports Club as title contenders Dynamos travel to Mucheke for a cagey assignment against FC Victoria.

Bosso, unbeaten in their last nine outings, are the Premier-ship’s team of the moment and they will arrive in the capital hoping to dethrone the Mighty Bulls and derail Motor Action’s march towards a maiden title. Motor Action cannot afford any slip-up in that game as a win by Dynamos over struggling FC Victoria could see the Harare giants taking over pole position.

The title race between Dynamos and Motor Action which has seen the Mighty Bulls open a two-point lead at the top has endured a number of twists and turns with neither side being able to find a consistent winning streak in the championship’s home stretch. DeMbare faltered twice inside four days when losing by identical 1-0 margins against Gunners and Kiglon.

Motor Action had a chance to extend their lead to four points on the same day that DeMbare lost to Kiglon, but the Mighty Bulls could only force a come from behind 1-1 draw against Gunners at Gwanzura. Highlanders stand in the way of Motor Action’s continued stay at the top. That is only in the event that FC Victoria do not cause a major upset and beat Dynamos at Mucheke.

The last time that Saul Chaminuka’s debutants faced Dynamos at Rufaro, they caused all sorts of problems for the Harare giants and lost via a controversial penalty converted by defender Guthrie Zhokinyi. Mighty Bulls coach Joey Antipas was however, calm before the Bosso storm yesterday insisting his charges remained composed in the face of yet another mammoth task against Highlanders.

The Mighty Bulls who were this week confirmed as one of the country’s representatives in next year’s Champions League will have their credentials put to test again by a Highlanders outfit that has launched a late onslaught on the championship. Motor Action’s draw with Gunners meant that they now need seven points in their last three matches to secure their first championship in their 11-year history.

They have now amassed 59 points from 27 games while second-placed Dynamos have 57. A victory will be a giant step towards that dream title which has always been Motor Action director Eric Rosen’s ambition. Antipas said Motor Action are cognisant of the challenge ahead of them but remained confident of collecting three points.

“Highlanders are a good side and they are enjoying their best form at the moment.  One thing we are sure about is that we have a tough match on our hands, but we know what’s at stake and I am happy the players have remained cool-headed and composed ahead of such matches.

“We played well in our last match and if we carry on from there nothing will stop us from winning. It will be interesting against Highlanders and I am sure the better team on the day will win,” Antipas said.

The former Warriors assistant coach said they had enough depth in reserve to fill in for the absence of three key players — defender Sam Mutenheri, midfielders Allan Gahadzikwa and skipper Bekhimpilo Ncube — who are on suspension after picking up three yellow cards.

“We have made contingency plans for that because there is a large pool to select from and all the players are motivated and determined to win the remaining matches.  We keep on reminding them to remain focused. Our victory over Highlanders at Barbour-fields was fantastic but Bosso were not playing their best game then.”

Bosso still have fresh memories of the 2-3 defeat they suffered in the reverse fixture but with their current form, there is nothing that could stop Joel Ngodzo and company from derailing the Motor Action march. Highlanders’ revival under young coach Mkhupali Masuku saw them rise into third with 52 points from 27 games and a win tomorrow could help them close the gap on second-placed Dynamos who are five points ahead of them.

The resurgent Bulawayo giants carry with them an intimidating script after sweeping aside all their opponents in the last eight league matches. Masuku said he was eager to see his side extend their unbeaten run to nine games. In fact, Bosso have not tasted defeat since they parted ways with Egyptian coach Moha-mmed Fathi two months ago. But Masuku is wary of the Mighty Bulls threat.

“This is going to be a tough game because Motor Action have been doing well this season and they are chasing the championship.  That alone makes them difficult opponents but we will surely give them a good run. We are quite prepared for it. Besides the unavailability of defender Zephaniah Ngodzo we have a clean bill,” said Masuku.

Seasoned striker Simbarashe Gate and left back Gift Lunga (Jnr) will return to the squad after missing the previous match against Eagles on suspension for accumulating three yellow cards. A Bosso victory will be sweet news to Dynamos who take their campaign to Masvingo to play relegation candidates FC Victoria.

Dynamos will be hoping to rebound from the rare back-to-back defeats by Gunners and Kiglon. Pressure has been piling on the Harare giants who now need to win all the remaining matches to keep alive their hopes of pipping Motor Action.

The fight for survival in the league is also getting intense on the lower end of the log table as Douglas Warriors who have sunk deep into the relegation zone date Black Mambas at Rudhaka. Relegated Bantu Rovers will be looking to pull Lengthens along with them on their way down when they face the not so Happy People at Hartsfield.

Lengthens will be hoping that fellow strugglers Shooting Stars fall to visiting Shabanie Mine at Gwanzura. The Wild Boys compounded their woes when they lost 5-2 to Hwange at the Colliery on Wednesday and new coach Lazarus Magaya and his team are under pressure to redeem themselves and secure a win that could guarantee them a stay of execution.

Pride will be at stake when Moses Chunga’s CAPS United face Eagles at Gwanzura. Eagles have terribly lost their rhythm in the league in the last month with the youthful side blowing a chance to cement a top-eight finish following a string of 1-0 defeats to Shooting Stars, Gunners, and Highlanders which followed a 1-1 draw against Dynamos.

Fixtures

Saturday: Bantu Rovers v Lengthens (Hartsfield), Douglas Warriors v Black Mambas (Rudhaka), Shooting Stars v Shabanie Mine (Gwanzura), Monomotapa v Hwange (Rufaro)

Sunday: Kiglon v Gunners (Rufaro), Motor Action v Highlanders (Callies), FC Victoria v Dynamos (Mucheke) Eagles v CAPS United (Gwanzura).