Highlanders coach Benjani Mwaruwari has called on his players to be more ruthless in front of goal after another frustrating afternoon saw Bosso slump to a 1-0 defeat against TelOne at Ascot Stadium.
The loss, Highlanders’ second of the season, followed a familiar pattern as the Bulawayo giants dominated large periods of the match but failed to convert their superiority into goals.
Despite enjoying most of the possession and controlling the midfield through Rainsome Pavari and Mongameli Tshuma, Bosso struggled to break down the disciplined TelOne defence.
Benjani started with Brighton Ncube and Nigerian forward Benjamin Adeogun leading the attack, but neither was able to make the breakthrough despite receiving decent service from midfield.
As the match wore on, the Highlanders coach turned to his bench, introducing Reason Sibanda, Prince Ndlovu and Zambian attacker Isaac Ngoma in search of a winning goal. However, the changes failed to provide the cutting edge needed to unlock the hosts.
The missed opportunities eventually proved costly.
Just minutes before full-time, Chelsea Nyakope struck the decisive goal for TelOne, condemning Highlanders to a painful defeat after they had controlled much of the contest.
Speaking after the match, Benjani admitted his frustration at seeing his side fail to make their dominance count.
“Losing in that manner is always difficult. We had a lot of chances that we couldn’t convert. We controlled the match in the first half but going forward in that final third, we didn’t have that desire, that high tempo,” he said.
The defeat highlighted a growing concern for Highlanders, whose struggles in front of goal have become a recurring theme this season.
Bosso have scored just 12 goals in 16 league matches, the lowest tally among teams currently occupying positions in the top half of the table.
The situation is particularly striking given the experience within the club’s technical team. Benjani, assistant coach Mkhokheli Dube and welfare manager Zenzo Moyo all built reputations as prolific forwards during their playing careers and understand the importance of clinical finishing.
While Highlanders have remained relatively solid defensively throughout the campaign, their lack of firepower has prevented them from turning promising performances into consistent results.
With the season approaching the mid-season transfer window, the pressure is mounting on the club to address its attacking shortcomings if it hopes to remain competitive in the race for silverware.
Benjani believes the solution lies in developing a more ruthless mentality in the final third.
“Sometimes when you play good football and you do not show the intention to hurt teams, that’s what happens.
“As a team we worked hard but it is a lesson to my boys that when you get chances you need to punish teams otherwise in games like this you will always be disappointed,” he said.
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