Injuries dog Highlanders

Sport
INJURED Highlanders trio Rahman Kutsanzira, Milton Ncube and Bruce Kangwa are expected to be fit in time for their seemingly tough top-of-the-table encounter against ZPC Kariba

INJURED Highlanders trio Rahman Kutsanzira, Milton Ncube and Bruce Kangwa are expected to be fit in time for their seemingly tough top-of-the-table Castle Lager Premier Soccer League encounter against ZPC Kariba at Gwanzura Stadium on Sunday. THANDIWE MOYO SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Rahman-Kutsanzira,-Milton-Ncube-and-Bruce-Kangwa

Both teams have not lost this season and goal difference separates them, sitting on 12 points each from six starts.

Bosso have a superior goal advantage with a difference of 10 while second-placed ZPC Kariba have a difference of six.

Bosso assistant coach Mark Mathe said Kutsanzira, Ncube and Kangwa were under observation.

“Rahman and Milton are training and we will only know whether they are available latest Friday (tomorrow). Bruce injured his right hand, but he is also training and if he is selected he can still play,” he said.

Kutsanzira picked up a groin injury during the Caps United match last weekend and had to be substituted for Khumbulani Banda 12 minutes into the second half.

Kangwa was also injured during the same match and managed to play throughout the match, but with his right hand heavily bandaged.

Ncube suffered a hip injury during the Chicken Inn match two weekends ago and had to be replaced by Joel Ngodzo, who has only played once this season since his return to his boyhood club from FC Platinum.

Sunday’s match could also see the return to action of goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya who was unavailable for the Caps United game. But Ariel Sibanda put up a superb performance against the Green Machine and it would be difficult to dislodge him.

“He (Diya) is training and depending on how he works out during training and our game plan he could feature in the match. We have three goalkeepers and they are all competing for a place in the team,” said Mathe.

He said their match against ZPC Kariba would be a tough one considering the statistics at hand.

“On the backdrop of statistics, it is going to be a tough match coupled with the fact that we will be playing away from home. We respect the coach and the team. They are a new team and they are doing well in the Premier League. However, our intention is to fight and develop a winning culture,” he said.

ZPC Kariba boasts players who include Caleb Masocha, Limited Chikafa, Norman Togara, Tawanda Nyamandwe, David Rediyoni, Norest Mukwezaramba and Philip Makanje. ZPC coach Saul Chaminuka told our Harare bureau that their main aim was to avoid relegation this season.

“We are relaxed as we prepare for the match against Highlanders,” he said.

“To us it is like any other match with the only difference being that we are sharing top spot. Our target is to survive relegation and it is games like this that can enhance our chances of survival. Our only worry is that we have got injuries and suspensions, but we are going to field a team that can do the job against Highlanders.”