Bosso star’s season ruined

Sport
HIGHLANDERS roving left-back Bruce Kangwa will not be eligible for this year’s Castle Lager soccer star of the year selection

HIGHLANDERS roving left-back Bruce Kangwa will not be eligible for this year’s Castle Lager soccer star of the year selection if the regulation barring players with six yellow cards from being selected is not changed.

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Kangwa has already picked up six yellow cards with nine games remaining to the end of the season and the Bosso striker-turned-defender, together with Warriors skipper Masimba Mambare, is also not part of the squad that takes on FC Platinum this afternoon in a league match at Barbourfields Stadium (BF) due to suspension.

The latest developments will ruin what could be the rising star’s best season so far in Bosso colours.

Kangwa impressed Warriors gaffer Ian Gorowa and was called up to the national team last month with Chicken Inn’s nimble-footed Kudakwashe Mahachi ahead of the second leg African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier against Zambia.

Kangwa yesterday said it was disappointing he had picked up six yellow cards, but hoped that the rules could be changed so that he can be eligible for selection.

“It is very disappointing, but I just hope that the rules change and I qualify for selection,” Kangwa said.

For tomorrow’s match, the Bosso speed merchant has been suspended after he picked up three yellow cards from three mathes – the Hwange match at BF in which Highlanders beat Chipangano 1-0 in July, the 2-0 win against Monomotapa early this month and the 0-1 loss to How Mine in the last league match.

Interestingly for Kangwa, he has picked up all the yellow cards that might dent his chances of appearing in the stars’ calendar, at BF.

Last year, Bosso centre-back Erick Mudzingwa missed out on selection after a good season after he picked up six yellow cards. According to last year’s pre-selection regulations, a player should have played at least 10 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches in the season and that could be with more than one club.

The rules also stated that any player who had accumulated more than two red cards or more than six yellow cards during the season was not eligible for selection.

In their official Facebook page yesterday, Bosso said of their left-back: “It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that as it stands, Bruce Kangwa is out of the running for the 2013 soccer stars of the year after accumulating a sixth yellow card of the season against How Mine. The rule states that players with six yellow cards are automatically disqualified from selection.” Bosso come into today’s game against FC Platinum after losing to How Mine 1-0 in the last league match at BF and after cruising to the quarter-finals of the Mbada Diamonds Cup by edging Triangle 3-2 at Emagumeni on Sunday.

Highlanders are still in the race for the championship, sitting on position three on the table, four points behind leaders Dynamos.

Their opponents FC Platinum under Lloyd Mutasa, last won a league match when they beat Monomotapa 2-0 at Mandava Stadium and are five points behind Dynamos on position five, but lost the BancABC Sup8r Cup to Shabanie Mine over a week ago at Mandava.

They were also bundled out of the Mbada Diamonds Cup in the first round by Hwange on Sunday at the Colliery.

Bosso and Platinum shared the spoils in a goalless draw in the reverse league fixture at Mandava in May.