Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
HARARE City FC are wary of Highlanders whom they play this Saturday at Rufaro Stadium in Harare following the appointment of a new Bosso technical team. The Sunshine City Boys will employ a cautious approach in their eighth league meeting with Bosso since being promoted into the topflight in 2012. Harare City are yet to lose to Highlanders at Rufaro Stadium and have declared their intention of keeping that record intact. In their first encounter in the capital in 2012, the Sunshine Boys played to a goalless draw and followed it up with a 4-0 clobbering of the Bulawayo giants in 2013. Last year Harare City beat Bosso 1-0.
Harare City assistant coach Mkhuphali Masuku yesterday said they were wary of Bosso following the appointment of a new technical team led by Amini Soma-Phiri. Soma-Phiri replaced Bongani Mafu last week after the club’s leadership and supporters became agitated by the lack of positive results.
The former Bosso striker will be hoping to get a victory in his debut as a PSL coach. “Saturday’s game won’t be easy because of the technical changes they’ve made. Obviously the new guys want a win and their strategies may be different from what we were used to. We’re aware that they are dangerous because of the developments that happened at Highlanders last week but we are ready for them. We want to keep our unbeaten home run against Highlanders intact by collecting three points,” Masuku said.
The ambitious Harare club go into the match smarting from a 0-1 away defeat to Hwange and are fifth on the table tied on 31 points with Bulawayo side How Mine. Highlanders also go into the game having succumbed to a last minute 2-3 loss to Chicken Inn, a result which marked the end of Mafu’s stay at the helm of Bosso.
Harare City, whose target is a top six finish, will be without the national Under-23 duo of Tatenda Munditi and Munyaradzi Nyenye-Diro who are representing the country at the African Games in Congo Brazzaville. They are also fretting over the availability of skipper David Kutyauripo, who started training at the beginning of the week after an injury layoff.
Kutyauripo missed the two sides’ game that ended in a 1-1 stalemate at Barbourfields Stadium in May. Harare City took a first half lead through a headed goal by William Manondo, but Bosso salvaged a point courtesy of an eight minute injury time, which allowed Gabriel Nyoni to equalise from the penalty spot.
Some of the players expected to lead Harare City’s hunt for maximum points include Arnold Chiveya, Crispen Dickson, Themba Ndlovu, Samanja and James Jam. They also have Benson Maglasi, heavily built striker Francisco Zikumbawire, Manondo and Martin Vengesayi to bank on.
Highlanders will be without the trio of Knox Mutizwa, Teenage Hadebe and Nqobizitha Masuku, who are with the Young Warriors, and will pin their hopes on Obidiah Tarumbwa, King Nadolo and Nyoni to lead their attack. Simon Munawa, Rahman Kutsanzira, Godfrey Makaruse, Edmore Muzanenhamo and Tendai Ngulube will all be vying for the three midfield slots while Erick Mudzingwa, Peter Muduhwa, Bruce Kangwa and Felix Chindungwe will form the back line.