Harare City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) 2 Highlanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) 2 Highlanders won 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out.
FORTUNE Mbele Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS stormed into the first-ever final of the Mbada Diamonds Cup after beating stubborn Harare City in a penalty lottery after an exciting semi-final tie played at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane yesterday.
Bosso goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya was the toast of the day after he scored in regulation time, saved a David Kutyauripo penalty in the shoot-out and scored the fifth penalty to book the Bulawayo giants into the final of the country’s richest football tournament.
Highlanders converted all their spot-kicks through Mthulisi Maphosa, Bhekimpilo “Barca” Ncube, Bruce Kangwa, Njabulo “Tshiki” Ncube and Diya.
City had converted their first through James Jam, Willard Kalongonda, Crispen Dickson before Kutyauripo’s fourth was saved by Diya with his bare hands after he had removed his gloves before he fired his spot-kick past Maxwell Nyamupanedengu.
“We wanted very much to go into the final. It has always been our objective to be in this final and have been practising hard throughout. Even when Harare City were ahead of us, we never gave up,” Diya said after the match.
Bosso will now meet the winner between Caps United and How Mine, who will battle it out in another semi-final at the National Sports Stadium, Harare, this afternoon.
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Highlanders head coach Kelvin Kaindu was an elated man after reaching the dream final saying his charges showed a lot of character.
Harare City scored first in regulation time through man-of-the-match Silas Songani who fired past Diya from a set-piece as early as the 12th minute from just outside the penalty box after Erick Mudzingwa had fouled City striker Martin Vengesayi.
But Bosso levelled the scoreline through Barca four minutes later in a goalmouth scramble after in-form Tshiki’s effort was blocked by the Harare City defence.
In the mêlée, Masimba Mambare’s weak shot did not produce any dividends before Barca pounced on the ball and placed it past Nyamupanedengu.
Harare City was ahead again in the 27th minute though another stinger rifled in by Crybert Muvuti, capitalising from a weak clearance by Highlanders defenders from another free-kick.
Vengesai was again involved in that goal.
But Bosso kept on piling pressure with Tshiki troubling the Harare City central defence of David Kutyauripo and Crispen Dickson and the Bulawayo giants were awarded a penalty after Simon Munawa was brought down inside the box and Diya converted.
In the 38th minute, Tshiki set up Gabriel Nyoni who skied his effort from inside the box.
City came a fired-up side in the second half, but against the run of play, Mambare’s left footer in the 57th minute was saved by Nyamupanedengu.
However, substitutions from either side changed the tempo of the game and the two sides settled for the four goals scored in the first half before getting into the penalty lottery which bundled out Harare City.
Harare City’s coach Bigboy Mawiwi who said his boys played a good game, was disappointed with the match officiating saying Munawa was brought down outside the box and Bosso did not deserve the penalty awarded in regulation time by referee Hardly Ndazi.
Teams Harare City: M Nyamupanedengu, M Nyenye, T Chiworiso (T Chawapiwa 46th minute), C Dickson, D Kutyauripo, J Jam, S Songani, C Muvuti (W Kalongonda 85th min), M Vengesayi (W Manondo 78th min), G Nguwodzawo, N Ziwini
Highlanders: M Diya, L Nkomo (M Ncube 65th min), B Kangwa, D Ndlovu (I Mapuranga 46th min), E Mudzingwa, H Madzivanyika (M Maphosa 46th min), M Mambare, S Munawa, B Ncube, N Ncube, G Nyoni
