BARBOURFIELDS (BF) Stadium will reverberate to yet another big Castle Lager Premier League football battle when Chicken Inn entertain Highlanders in a top-of-the-table fourth Bulawayo derby clash on Sunday.
FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER The rivalry of the City of Kings’ biggest clubs resumes after Chicken Inn beat Bosso for the first time since promotion into the Premiership in 2011, dismissing Highlanders 0-1 at Emagumeni on June 19.
But what will make it more exciting will be the battle for supremacy between the two clubs in the 2013 season, as both sides have amassed 30 points from 16 matches, with Bosso basking in the glory of a five-goal superior goal difference. Bosso is on second spot on the log standings with the GameCox one place behind. A win for either side could see them reclaiming the top spot, depending on the result of another derby in the capital where Monomotapa will play host to city rivals and log leaders Harare City at Rufaro Stadium tomorrow.
City are on 31 points, nine ahead of Monomotapa and sit on position nine. Monoz will be seeking to steer away from relegation after embarking into the second round of the season with a 2-0 win against struggling Motor Action. Kudakwashe Mahachi was on target for Chicken Inn on June 19 when he cracked a thunderbolt past goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda. Home team Chicken Inn have been on the roll in the league having gone for eight matches without a loss after suffering their last defeat to Harare City 2-1 away from home.
In the eight matches they have played after that, the Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu-coached outfit have won six times and drawn twice. On paper they are the better side compared to Highlanders, despite bowing out of the quarter-final of the BancABC Sup8r Cup after losing to Shabanie Mine 2-0 at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane. Bosso could be under pressure going into this match. They last tasted victory on June 2 when they beat Hwange at the Colliery with a solitary goal from Milton Ncube.
They then fell to Chicken Inn at BF before another 2-1 defeat to Caps United in Harare. Last week’s eventful 0-0 draw with Caps United at home, was compounded by an early exit from the Sup8r Cup at FC Platinum’s expense in a 3-1 penalty lottery loss at Mucheke Stadium.
After sharing the spoils with Shabanie Mine last Friday at Luveve, Mpofu said he was looking forward to completing a double over Highlanders. Last Sunday, at the club’s extraordinary mid-season general meeting, Highlanders chairman Peter Dube said the Bosso family could not bear the brunt of constant losses the team was suffering at BF. Bosso lost to How Mine, Motor Action and Chicken Inn in front of their home crowd. They have lost only once away – to Caps United.
Both sides come into Sunday’s match without key players, with Chicken Inn missing skipper Felix Chindungwe and leading scorer Tendai Ndoro while Bosso will be without goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya and Masimba Mambare, with the Warriors in the Cosafa Castle Cup in Zambia.
