WE LACKED GUTS: MAFU

Sport
HIGHLANDERS’ defeat at the hands of Caps United last Sunday was a harsh reminder to the Bulawayo giants’ head coach Bongani Mafu that playing beautiful football does not win games.

HIGHLANDERS’ defeat at the hands of Caps United last Sunday was a harsh reminder to the Bulawayo giants’ head coach Bongani Mafu that playing beautiful football does not win games.

SAKHELENI NXUMALO SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

The Bosso gaffer has in the past advocated for his charges to express themselves on the field of play as a way of enticing fans to come in their numbers and while his charges did indeed charm their followers with smooth passing game, they were eliminated from the Bob 91 Super Cup by a clinical Caps side.

Highlanders were clearly the better side for the better part of the first half, but left their coach with concerns about sharpness in the final third as they failed to find the target despite enjoying a lion’s share of possession.

“We played good football and enjoyed lots of possession but we just did not have the guts or the gusto to try and hit shots at goal and that limited our chances of winning the game.
“We played good football and enjoyed lots of possession but we just did not have the guts or the gusto to try and hit shots at goal and that limited our chances of winning the game.

“We played good football and enjoyed lots of possession but we just did not have the guts or the gusto to try and hit shots at goal and that limited our chances of winning the game.

“In the first half they (Caps) had one chance that went through the middle and got a goal. That is how you win football matches and I think we need to work on finishing because the rest looks okay and it is just that finishing touch that we need to improve on,” Mafu said.

The Highlanders technical team needs to work on the ability to reshuffle their pack in case the opposition changes tactics as they paid dearly for failure to counter Caps’ introduction of veteran forward Leonard Tsipa after 36 minutes.

Tsipa assumed the centre striker’s role, which had up till then been assigned to Rodreck Mutuma.

This freed the latter to play as a missing striker in a move that soon bore fruit as Mutuma began to cause lots of trouble for Bosso and he duly found the target just before half time.

In fact, Tsipa’s influence on the game was evident just two minutes after his entry when his effort found the target, but was ruled out for offside by first assistant referee Tione Kacheche.

Tsipa went on to play a big part in Makepekepe’s opener when his clever dummy deceived the Highlanders defence and the ball rolled through for Mutuma to slot home.

Caps United coach Mark Harrison said bringing on Tsipa was meant to shift to a 4-4-2 formation and this paid dividends.

“Highlanders were the better side for the first 30 minutes, but after we made our change our midfielders became very mobile and from thereon we took control of the game,”
“Highlanders were the better side for the first 30 minutes, but after we made our change our midfielders became very mobile and from thereon we took control of the game,”

“Highlanders were the better side for the first 30 minutes, but after we made our change our midfielders became very mobile and from thereon we took control of the game,” Harrison said.

The bringing in of Tsipa for Kudzai Nyamupfukudza proved to be a master stroke by the visitors’ technical department. Highlanders’ first substitute Knox Mutizwa failed to make an impact.

It took the introduction of veteran forward Obadiah Tarumbwa for Highlanders to finally find the target after Caps keeper Victor Twaliki’s poorly taken goal-kick fell for the striker who gratefully pulled one back.

Twaliki and his teammates went on to dispute the goal claiming the reason behind his poor kick was that he had been hit by a missile thrown from the Soweto end, leading to a 12-minute stoppage.

But while lack of aggression in the final third may be a cause for concern for Bosso coach Mafu, he should draw solace from the fact that his wish for his charges to play entertaining football has been realised.