HIGHLANDERS head coach Bongani Mafu says he should be able to come out with a full squad for the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) tomorrow after playing a 1-1 draw against Orange Caf Confederation Cup participants FC Platinum in a friendly match at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday.
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FC Platinum played a better game in the first half, but the Bulawayo giants came back rejuvenated after making some changes.
Scorer Donald Ngoma and Tatenda Dzumbunu, both pulled out due to injury, wreaked havoc for Bosso with Wisdom Mutasa, Walter Musona and skipper Thabani Kamusoko.
Mafu said he believed the squad was ready.
“I think I should be able to come up with a real team by Tuesday (tomorrow),” he said.
“I should be able to tell you exactly who is in my PSL squad because I think I know everyone in the squad.
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“We have come to the end of the preparation period, now we have to do our work with the squad that we have. Unless of course by some stroke of luck I get someone special from somewhere special, I have got a team for the PSL season.
He added: “I am very happy with the preparations and in a very sad way, I would not have minded losing this game. I wanted to feel how it would be like to lose here because believe me, one day I will lose.
“A high-flying team that is preparing for Africa could not beat us today, so it will be hard for them to beat us when we are properly ready.”
Bosso started off the game with new faces Tendai Ngulube, who had a good game as anchorman, and Lindelani Ncube who partnered Douglas Sibanda in central defence.
They had Webster Chingodza on the right-back, but he was shown the red card six minutes into the second half for a second bookable offence.
On the left-back was Julius Daudi.
The game changed in the second half for Bosso with the coming in of Welcome Ndiweni, Knox Mutizwa and Godfrey Makaruse while Mlungisi Ncube and Edmore Muzanenhamo came in two minutes before full time.
Striker Simba Sithole, replaced by Mutizwa in the 46th minute, had a lousy game.
Mafu added: “I think we fared well. I think we played one of the best teams that I have seen play football in this country in a long time. We are still a little bit far from the finished product, but I don’t think that we are walkovers.
“We have a few things to learn, but we stuck to our positional discipline and we managed to grind a result.”
He added: “Results are important in football, but this is pre-season. There is no pre-season that you go and play the best team in the league. You go and play lower division sides, but I have not seen the best in the league, so I don’t mind playing them (FC Platinum) and getting to know them.
“If we can hold our own when we think we are not yet there, I think we are fine. I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. We played football this week and last week (against Chapungu) we were kicked around.
“It was not easy to play football. Today (Saturday) the youngsters could play football against other youngsters that played football. I think we played a good football match today.” Mafu said.
Mthulisi Maphosa, Erick Mudzingwa and King Nadolo are nursing injuries while striker Thomas Chiedu dislocated a shoulder against Chapungu and is in Harare.
