HIGHLANDERS are in a buoyant mood ahead of their clash with Bulawayo Chiefs in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday on the back of their win over Dynamos last weekend
Highlanders are perched on position five on the log table with 29 points and a deficit of nine points from pacesetters FC Platinum.
The competition is stiff, where reigning champions Ngezi Platinum Stars have picked up the right form of late, while Simba Bhora are also up for the challenge, and so are Manica Diamonds.
Bosso coach Kelvin Kaindu hopes his side can carry the momentum from Sunday into the weekend.
“The last fixture was important, especially for our fans, but football being football, that is now history. We are now focusing on the game that we are playing (against Bulawayo Chiefs),” Kaindu said.
“If you look at the way we performed in the first half against the local teams here in Bulawayo, I think we didn’t do very well and we know that when it comes to such games, there is a lot at stake because we see them [Chiefs players] week in, week out. We socialise and interact with them. What is important at the end of the day is to get a positive result.”
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Highlanders rue the draws they played in the first half, particularly the 1-1 draw against Bulawayo Chiefs.
“In all the draws that we picked, this is a game where we could have come out with a big margin, but on that day, the [Chiefs] goalkeeper [Prosper Matutu] was just outstanding,” Kaindu said.
On Sunday, Mckinnon Mushore and Godfrey Makaruse were on target when Highlanders dispatched Dynamos 2-0 at Rufaro.
Highlanders had Reward Muza in-between the goalposts ahead of Raphael Pitisi against the Glamour Boys and were also boosted by the return of defender Archford Faira from injury.
Muza did well in the task and recorded a clean sheet against DeMbare.
Kaindu is wary of Chiefs’ coach Thulani Sibanda’s approach to the game.
“Chiefs have assembled young players that can compete and they also have a good coach who is very tactical,” the Bosso gaffer said.
“Even when we play against them on Sunday, there will be a lot of tactical approaches that they are going to do. We just hope that our tactics will be slightly better than theirs.”
Chiefs lost marksman Never Rauzhi to Highlanders in the mid-season transfer window, but the 23-year-old striker will not be eligible to play against his employers as per the loan agreement that saw him move to the club’s city neighbours.