The Sunday Mail
Don Makanyanga
Harare City…. (3) 3
Highlanders…….(0) 1
HARARE City bowed out of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League with a bang, after thumping Highlanders at the National Sports Stadium, ending the Bulawayo giants’ faint hopes of sneaking into the top four.
It was always going to be a tall order for Highlanders to end among the top four, after they dropped two valuable points when they were held in a one-all draw by ZPC Kariba at Barbourfields last Sunday.
Their last visit to the capital two weeks ago for a ‘Battle of Zimbabwe’ showdown with Dynamos had also yielded a draw, ending nil-all.
This meant that apart from having to win against Harare City, Bosso had been praying that Ngezi Platinum Stars slump to a rare defeat at Baobab to relegated WhaWha.
But Ngezi caretaker coach, Takesure Chiragwi, who had a strong finish to the season and made a huge statement about his credentials for a substantive appointment, oversaw an emphatic 5-0 victory over WhaWha by the Mhondoro miners.
Saturday’s results mean Highlanders will have to wait another season to end their long wait for a top-four finish.
Bosso have not ended a season in the top four since 2016.
Harare City arrived for their final Premiership encounter having already been relegated at the end of the Match Day 33 fixtures.
But they ensured they would still be competitive even in their final hour in the top-flight.
A brace by 18-year-old Alexander Mandinyenya and Timothy January’s strike ensured that the Sunshine Boys recorded their third victory of the season at home.
“It was a very good way to end a very turbulent season for us, and also managing back-to-back victories is a good way for us to sign off on our Premiership stay,” said coach Taurai Mangwiro.
It is the first time in his 16-year career that Mangwiro has presided over team that gets relegated from the Premier League.
“We had our own shortcomings as a team and as coach I own up to the demise of Harare City.
“It is very unfortunate that I did not pay back the trust that was shown in me by the club’s leadership and the players had put on me.
“It is a very disappointing way to end the season. It is the first time that I have been relegated in my 16-year career in the Premiership,” Mangwiro said.
The manner in which Harare City bossed Highlanders would have left a neutral believing that it was the former side who were actually fighting for a top-four finish.
Mandinyenya put the Sunshine Boys in front four minutes into the game, after he reacted quickly to tap in a rebound from Wilfred Muvirimi who had seen his shot ricochet off the woodwork.
The hosts increased their lead in the 18th minute when January curled home from the edge of the penalty box on the right flank.
Mandinyenya came back to haunt the Bulawayo giants again six minutes later, when he headed home a Dinoleen Masukuta cross.
It was Mandinyenya’s first Premiership brace.
An out-of-sorts Bosso failed to create any meaningful chances in front of goal in the first half.
The Bulawayo giants returned from the break a much better side.
But they still found some difficulty in breaking down the Harare City defence.
It was not until the 87th minute that Stanley Ngala took advantage of a lapse in concentration by the hosts’ defenders to volley home from close range.
The defeat seemed to have hurt Bosso coach, Baltemar Brito, so much that he ducked the post-match press conference.
Brito instead sent his assistant, Antonio Torres, who had watched the game from the stands as he is not eligible to sit on the technical bench.
Torres blamed his charges for taking a lackadaisical approach to the game.
“It was a game of two different halves, in the first half our players were not focused on the job they are supposed to do.
“It is not about top four, but being proud in the battle and it did not show from our team. The mentality was not there.
“The players have to respect the fans by giving it their all,” said Torres.
At Baobab, Delic Mulimba bagged his first quartet of goals in the Premiership, with two goals in either half.
Tendai Matindife then put the icing on the comprehensive Ngezi win.
