“Am told an ‘illegal structure’ Highlanders has been demolished at Rufaro stadium by the City Council boys…” wrote political commentator Sanderson Makombe on his facebook page.
The post might have been written in jest but in a way it captured how premiership dark horses Harare City hammered Highlanders 4-0 to replace the Bulawayo giants at the top of the Castle Lager Premiership log standings with one game to go.
City star player Silas Songani turned on an incredible individual performance, rich in quality, as he tore Bosso to shreds and left their championship hopes lying in tatters. Songani, William Manondo and double scorer Nathan Ziwini found the target.
Bigboy Mawiwi’s side now only have to beat Caps United next Sunday to be crowned champions.
“We wanted to make sure that Highlanders were not going to pick a point,” said Mawiwi.
“We played very well and I was quite confident. Of late, there was no consistency. The youngsters tend to be complacent and, naturally, you can’t control that but I am very happy that we responded well.
“I am over the moon and I also thank God, because God is for everyone.”
“I said to the youngsters we needed to score three goals to cushion ourselves because the environment that we are living in now is very difficult with the issue of the referees.
“So we wanted to make sure that they don’t come back into the game because Highlanders are fighters and are good at that,” said Mawiwi.
Highlanders’ assistant coach Bhekithemba Ndlovu said they lost because they played with a wrong attitude.
“We wanted to win the game but we gave away two very easy goals in the first half. From then on the game changed. Maybe the mentality and the attitude was not right because we were not marking and the transition was not good from attacking and defending and we were caught on counter attacks,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu has been unlucky on his visits without head coach Kelvin Kaindu who is away in Europe for a Uefa B Licence coaching course.
Bosso lost significant ground in the championship race when he was forced to a 1-1 draw by relegated Motor Action two weeks ago at Rufaro when Kaindu was away on the first leg of the course.
But Ncube yesterday said his game plan failed to tick as most of his players did not rise to the occasion.
“If I was to make substitutions, I was going to make six changes but only three are allowed. We did not rise to the occasion. We did not play our usual game.
“Maybe the attitude was wrong. Five or six players were not in the game. We were losing the ball in crucial areas and we just did not rise to the occasion today,” said Nldovu.
Teams
Harare City – M. Nyamupangedengu, M. Nyenye (W. Kalongonda, 79th minute), T. Chiworeso, W. Nyamutsaka, D. Kutyauripo, C. Dickson, S. Songani, N. Ziwini, W. Manondo, M. Vengesai (C. Muvuti, 75th minute), T. Chawapiwa (P. Bamusi, 70th minute)
Highlanders – M. Diya, S. Munawa, B. Kangwa, E. Mudzingwa, I. Mapuranga, M. Maphosa, H. Madzivanyika, B. Ncube (M. Ncube, 50th minute), M. Mambare, N. Ncube (O. Zibande, 59th minute), G. Nyoni (P. Moyo, 78th minute)
Other Results
Sunday: Chicken Inn 2-2 Dynamos, Harare City 4-0 Highlanders, Buffaloes 1-0 Monomotapa, Black Rhinos 1-0 Hwange, Black Mambas 3-0 Tripple B, Shabanie Mine 2-0 Triangle, How Mine 1-1 FC Platinum
Saturday: Motor Action 0-2 Caps United
