By Sikhumbuzo Moyo
Highlanders FC 1-1 Hwange FC
A penalty, a well struck goal and a red card, were the three major highlights of this top of the table clash at Barbourfields Stadium as Bulawayo giants Highlanders and Hwange shared the spoils yesterday. Bosso allowed bitter rivals Dynamos to leap to top of the log standings.
Highlanders took charge of the proceedings in the 22nd minute from a Munyaradzi Diya spot kick before Aleck Marime pulled one back for the visitors in the 59th minute. His teammate Munyaradzi Mungwazi saw red eight minutes before time.
Coming from a 3-0 away win over new boys, Chiredzi last Monday, Highlanders were in the driving seat in the 22nd minute through a well taken penalty by Diya who took his goals’ tally to three in three matches. The penalty was awarded after Highlanders’ Milton Ncube was hacked down inside the box by Hwange right back Eric Chipeta.
This was after Ncube had dispossessed his national team colleague from a goalkeeper Takava Mawaya’s goal kick. Upon gaining control of the ball Ncube charged forward with Chipeta in a desperate attempt to win back possession but could only hack Ncube down and the referee, Mandlenkosi Sibindi rightfully pointed to the spot.
Up stepped Diya to coolly slot the ball into the nets, in the process sending his opposite number Mawaya the wrong way.
Highlanders could have opened the scoring as early as the ninth minute when dribbling wizard Kuda Mahachi made the first of his many light work of Hwange left back Munyaradzi Mungadzi, lobbying the ball over him before skillfully controlling it down, in the process charging forward as if going towards the corner flag but in a flash changed direction and released a dipping shot towards goal that was however tipped over the bar for a corner by Mawaya.
Chipangano responded two minutes later when Chipeta’s freekick following a foul by Erick Mudzingwa on young Oscar Lungu, hit the upright post on Diya’s left side. Diya had reacted too slow and had it been on target, the Hwange bench would have celebrated on that occasion. Highlanders continued with their torment of the Hwange defence but the goal proved elusive until the 22nd minute penalty by Diya.
The coal miners got their first corner kick in the 32nd minute which they wasted and Highlanders immediately launched an attack, Mahachi left Isaac Masame for dead, passed the ball to Milton who quickly released veteran midfielder Mthulisi Maphosa.
Maphosa however took long to go for the kill as he tried to look for a better shooting angle and by the time he attempted to shoot, the Hwange defence of David Boriwondo and skipper Gerald Ndlovu had covered the impending danger. Maphosa managed to lay the ball back to Milton who managed to intelligently execute a back heeler to Simon Munawa but the midfielder turned right back reacted too slow.
Five minutes before halftime, a snap speculative shot by Rodwell Chinyengetere went over the bar. In the 42nd minute Bosso were forced to make an injury inspired substitution, when Maphosa limped off with a knee injury and was replaced by South Africa bound Peter Rio Moyo.
Moyo would certainly want to quickly forget yesterday’s match as he was of no value to the team, losing the ball unnecessarily while also failing to mark.
He together with the other substitutes Valentine Ndaba and Ozias Zibande failed to change the complexion of the game whose tone had earlier been set by the off sorts Munawa and Rahman Kutsanzira.
“The guys we brought in did not play to our expectations,” said Bosso gaffer Kelvin Kaindu.
The first half ended with the Bulawayo giants leading 1-0.
Hwange kicked off the second half playing purposeful football and were always dangerous with Masame and Marime when going forward. Young Lungu should also be commended for matching his more experienced opponent Mudzingwa man for man, although he was later taken out by coach Nation Dube for veteran Gilbert Zulu.
Their dominance finally paid dividends following quick thinking by Lungu who wasted no time in taking a freekick to Marime on the score board side. Marime pushed the ball forward before letting loose a low shot that rifled into the nearside of a diving Diya. Good goalkeepers’ rarely concede such goals.
There was really nothing much to write home about thereafter save for the red carding of Mungwazi for a careless tackle from behind on Milton. He received his second yellow card after his first on Mahachi in the first half.
“We lacked someone who could create opportunities for us and its really unfortunate we dropped two points at home,” said a disappointed Kaindu.
Hwange assistant coach Chenjerai Dube blamed the draw on what he called poor officiating by the referee.
“Some decisions were really baffling but I must commend the boys for a good show, Highlanders were better in the first half while we managed to regroup and came back a better lot in the second,” said Dube. The Chronicle
Teams:
Highlanders: M Diya, S Munawa (O Zibande 84th minute), B Kangwa, I Mapuranga, D Ndlovu, M Maphosa (P Moyo 42nd minute), E Mudzingwa, M Ncube, K Mahachi, C Sibanda, R Kutsanzira (V Ndaba 69th minute)
Hwange: T Mawaya, E Chipeta, M Mungwazi, D Bworiwondo, G Ndlovu, A Chuma, F Vimisayi (E Rusike 73rd minute), I Masame (T Chese 61st minute), R Chinyengetere, A Marime, O Lungu (G Zulu 80th minute)
