Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter—
HIGHLANDERS coach Erol Akbay will decide tomorrow morning whether the national team duo of utility player Bruce Kangwa and attacking midfielder King Nadolo are fit enough to face How Mine at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday. Bosso return to action in the Castle Lager Premiership after a three-week break due to national team commitments and will be hoping to continue with their fairytale start to the season that has seen them positioning themselves well in the title race.
Bosso are fourth on the league table with 17 points, three behind leaders FC Platinum, who have played one game more.
Highlanders’ match against Border Strikers was cancelled as they had four players, striker Prince Dube and midfielder Bukhosi Ncube with the national Under-20 squad that lost 0-2 to Cameroon in the Africa Under-20 Championships, while Kangwa and Nadolo were with the senior team in Namibia at the Cosafa Castle Cup.
“Prince and Bukhosi are already here and they’ve trained with the team. We’re waiting for Kangwa and Nadolo, who we expect to arrive tomorrow evening. From what we heard, they will touch down in Harare tomorrow afternoon and immediately travel to Bulawayo. We’re going to assess them either tomorrow evening or on Saturday morning and then decide whether they go into camp or not,” said Akbay.
Kangwa, the second leading scorer at Bosso with three goals, one behind joint leaders Dube and Knox Mutizwa, was on target in Highlanders’ last game, a 2-0 victory over eternal rivals Dynamos at Rufaro Stadium.
Kangwa’s availability gives Akbay and his side attacking options. The Bosso boss is also hopeful that Erick Mudzingwa will shrug off the flu bug in time for the How Mine game. Mudzingwa seems to have adjusted well in the defensive midfielder’s role, covering for central defenders.
Also returning to full training at Bosso is central defender Tendai Ndlovu, who missed the Dynamos trip due to injury sustained in the 1-1 draw against Harare City at Barbourfields last month. Ndlovu is available for selection and could partner skipper Felix Chindungwe in central defence.
While Bosso’s coaches have the luxury to select their best players, How Mine’s Kelvin Kaindu has three players nursing injuries, defender Nelson Tachi, winger Timothy January and central midfielder Thembani Masuku.
National team goalkeeper Donovan Bernard is unlucky to be on the bench as he arrives in Harare later today and the coaches won’t be able to have a look at him during today’s final training session. “Obviously having players coming from the national team boosts a team and widens selection, but we have to see how they perform at training and we hope Donovan comes in today,” said Kaindu.
Donovan has been relegated to the bench at How Mine, with the coaches preferring Munyaradzi Diya. Even in the national team, Donovan plays second fiddle to Dynamos’ Tatenda Mukuruva, raising eyebrows on why he is being selected for national duty when he is not even playing.
In other games, Bulawayo City entertain Harare City at Barbourfields tomorrow, while Chicken Inn’s epic clash with FC Platinum has been postponed because the champions have five players, Teenage Hadebe, Lawrence Mhlanga, Danny Phiri, Tafadzwa Kutinyu and Obidiah Tarumbwa with the national team.
The cancellation could cost FC Platinum top spot and see them plummeting down to fourth, should Caps United, ZPC Kariba and Highlanders win their respective games. Caps United are away at Sakubva against Mutare City Rovers, while ZPC Kariba will be home to Tsholotsho FC.
Fixtures
Tomorrow: ZPC Kariba v Tsholotsho FC (Nyamhunga), *Chicken Inn v FC Platinum (Luveve), Bulawayo City v Harare City (Barbourfields)
Sunday: Dynamos v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Rufaro), How Mine v Highlanders (Barbourfields), Border Strikers v Chapungu (Dulivhadzimu), Triangle United v Hwange (Gibbo), Mutare City Rovers v Caps United (Sakubva)
*Match postponed due to three or more players called for National team assignment