Gibbo awaits . . . Bosso battle history, absences

Innocent Kurira [email protected]

GIBBO Stadium has rarely favoured either Triangle United or Highlanders, and when the two sides meet there tomorrow, the numbers suggest Bosso will need to produce something special to gain the upper hand.

Highlanders travel to Triangle for a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Week 28 clash knowing they face a venue where the home side has historically been just as successful as the visitors.

The record at Gibbo makes fascinating reading. In 10 previous league meetings at Triangle’s home ground, Highlanders have won three matches, Triangle have also won three, while four encounters have ended in draws.

Even the goal tally reflects the balance between the two sides, with 10 goals apiece.

Few fixtures in the league can boast such symmetry.

The 10 meetings have produced an average of just two goals per game, while the four draws underline the fiercely competitive nature of the contest.

Highlanders have scored in seven of those matches, while Triangle have also found the net in seven.

Six encounters have seen both teams score, while four have ended with one side failing to register a goal. Four matches have also been decided by a solitary goal, highlighting how difficult it has been for either side to establish dominance at Gibbo.

For Bosso, perhaps the most encouraging statistic is that they have avoided defeat in seven of their last 10 visits to Triangle, registering three wins and four draws. However, Triangle can make the same claim. The Sugar Sugar Boys have also remained unbeaten in seven of those 10 home fixtures, making tomorrow’s clash a genuine toss-up despite the contrasting fortunes of the two clubs this season.

That is where the statistics become even more intriguing. Highlanders enter the match seventh on the table with 41 points from 27 matches, while Triangle continue to battle near the foot of the standings.

On paper, Bosso appear the stronger side.

At Gibbo, however, history offers them little advantage.

The hosts will take confidence from their recent 2-0 victory over TelOne, while Highlanders arrive buoyed by a convincing 2-0 win over Herentals in their previous league outing.

Bosso’s preparations, however, have been disrupted by a double suspension blow.

Influential attackers Kudakwashe “Nkembe” Mahachi and Mongameli Tshuma will both miss the encounter after accumulating enough disciplinary points to trigger suspensions.

Their absence deprives coach Benjani Mwaruwari of two key attacking options at a venue where Highlanders will already need to be at their sharpest. Mahachi brings experience, creativity and pace, while Tshuma has developed into a significant threat in the final third.

Triangle will undoubtedly view that as an opportunity.

If Gibbo traditionally produces closely fought contests, the absence of two of Highlanders’ main attacking weapons could make the task even tougher for the visitors.

Triangle will also be without suspended midfielder Aaron Mackie Dzanai. Both coaches will therefore be forced to reshuffle their line-ups, although Bosso’s greater concern will be finding an effective replacement for the Mahachi-Tshuma combination.

The responsibility could fall on captain Darlington Munkuli, Andrew Mbeba, Rainsome Pavari,

Isaac Ngoma and Benjamin Oluwarotimi to provide the attacking spark.

Mwaruwari has already seen his side successfully navigate suspensions this season. Munkuli and

Oluwarotimi both missed the previous league fixture against Herentals, yet Highlanders still emerged with an impressive 2-0 victory.

Now the Bosso coach must once again find the right formula.

There is little margin for error.

With the campaign entering its decisive stages, every point carries added significance, particularly for a Highlanders side looking to stay among the frontrunners and a Triangle team desperate to move further away from trouble.

Meanwhile, Gibbo promises to provide its customary challenge.

For Triangle, it presents an opportunity to maximise home advantage and capitalise on Highlanders’ attacking absences.

For Bosso, it is a chance to prove that even without Mahachi and Tshuma, they possess the quality and character to conquer a ground that has stubbornly refused to belong to either side.