Bosso booted out of Chibuku Super Cup

By Sikhumbuzo Moyo

How Mine 1-1 Highlanders

(How Mine 4-3 Highlanders after penalty shootouts)

BULAWAYO – Gold miners How Mine bundled Highlanders out of the lucrative Chibuku Super Cup with a 4-3 penalty shootout victory in a match that was typical of a derby at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.

The two sides were deadlocked one apiece after regulation time, How Mine scoring through Heritein Masuku while Bosso equalised with a stunning Obidiah Tarumbwa 30-metre set-piece that the opponents coach, Luke Masomere said should not have stood.

The lottery saw How Mine’s Devon Chafa, Timothy Sithole, Heritein and veteran Mernard Mupera converting their kicks while Wonder Sithole’s effort hit against the woodwork.

Amahlolanyama scored through an on-fire stand-in skipper Tarumbwa, Nqobizitha Masuku and dribbling menace King Nadolo with veteran Tendai Ngulube and new boy Thembinkosi Simango failing to score.

Ngulube crashed his effort against the bar while Simango, who many felt was given too much responsibility on his Highlanders debut, saw his effort saved by How Mine goalie Donovan Bernard.

“Some of the experienced guys couldn’t come forward and the players you saw taking the spot kicks are the ones that came forward,” said Bosso coach Bongani Mafu when journalists asked whose idea it was to have Simango take such a crucial spot kick.

Highlanders, however could have avoided the agony of a penalty shootout had they buried the numerous scoring chances they created especially in the first half.

Mafu’s boys literally toyed around their opponents, tearing them from the right where Kutsanzira operated, bullying them from the centre where Tarumbwa and Nadolo patented the space as well as the left flank where there was Valentine Ndaba complemented by the energetic Bruce Kangwa.

Ndaba though lost all the confidence after failing to score in a one on one situation with Bernard after being set up by Tarumbwa in the 15th minute.

Bosso fans started whistling and the young man never recovered his confidence until he was eventually taken out in the 42nd minute for debutant Thembinkosi Simango.

It was veteran Ngulube who first asked questions with a left footed pile driver two minutes into the match that was punched back into play by Bernard but follow ups were a shade too slow.

Bosso kept on attacking in search of an early goal. In the 10th minute Kutsanzira made a mockery of Nyasha Mukumbi and the former Caps United man was left with no option but to foul his former team mate a few metres from the corner flag. Nearside assistant referee Tione Kacheche raised his flag to signal a free kick.

Up-stepped Ndaba delivering an inch-perfect curler that found an unmarked Tarumbwa right inside the 12 yard box but he made a mess of it.

To their credit though, How Mine kept their composure and never panicked, like true veterans. Heritein, operating in Kangwa’s flank, saw a pocket of space, took his chance and ran for the kill until he was inside the box where he let go a grounder that appeared to go in off Felix Chindungwe’s boot. Referee Allen Basvi credited Heritein with the goal.

Stunned, Highlanders made positional changes, Kutsanzira switching to the left and Ndaba to the right as Mafu searched for an early equaliser.

He had to wait for 12 minutes and what a goal it was. Simon Munawa was hacked down about 30 metres outside the How Mine goal line and Tarumbwa chose to lead from the front by taking full responsibility.

He moved back a few metres, picked his spot and Bernard never saw it coming.

Moments later, the gold miners got their own free kick right on the penalty arc after troublesome striker Kuda Musharu was hacked by Chindungwe. Sithole’s resultant kick went close but over the bar.

Five minutes before the breather Godfrey Nguwodzawo couldn’t believe his eyes after Njabulo Nyoni saved his shot from a very acute angle.

The second half began with How Mine the better side but it was young Nadolo who almost jerked the Bosso fans off their seats when his dipping volley crashed against the cross bar, nine minutes into the second stanza.

It proved to be Bosso’s only shot at goal the whole 45 minutes as How Mine kept their more illustrious opponents back-pedalling most of the time.

Njabulo denied How Mine skipper Tapiwa Kumbuyani a clear goal when he made a clean catch of his header off a cross from the right, 75 minutes into the match.

“I’m happy we won although the field wasn’t level in terms of how the match was handled. It was clearly in favour of Highlanders,” said Masomere.

He alleged the Highlanders goal should not have stood as it was scored as a direct goal yet the referee had signalled an indirect free kick.

Teams:

How Mine: D Bernard, T Kumbuyani, M Gutu, D Chafa, H Masuku, N Mukumbi, G Nguwodzawo (M Mupera 86th min), N Tachi, K Musharu, W Sithole, T Masuku (T January 28th min)

Highlanders: N Nyoni, W Chingodza, F Chindungwe, H Moyo, B Kangwa, S Munawa (N Masuku 79th min), K Nadolo, R Kutsanzira (G Makarutse 63rd min), V Ndaba (T Simango 42nd min), O Tarumbwa, T Ngulube. The Chronicle