Simba Bhora 1-1 Highlanders
WHEN Joel Luphahla trudged off the Wadzanayi pitch after his team’s 1-1 draw with Highlanders on Saturday, he looked every bit a man burdened by regret.
The match had started brightly, with Bosso’s Benjamin Adeogun opening the scoring in the 16th minute before Butholezwe Ncube levelled four minutes before the break. Yet the draw did little to lift either side. Both extended their winless runs to six games, and Simba Bhora slipped to third on the Premier Soccer League table behind Scottland and MWOS.
But it was Luphahla’s team selection that left the terraces buzzing.
For a side desperate to end a barren spell, the coach’s decision to start with five defensive midfielders and no recognised striker baffled many. In a major shake-up, he dropped regulars Junior Makunike, Donald Mudadi and Emmanuel Ziocha, opting for a cautious line-up featuring Never Tigere, Barnabas Mtuche, Blessed Ndereki and Ncube, with Tavonga Kuleya pushed forward as a makeshift attacker.
“I blame myself for how things turned out, and I take full responsibility for all of it,” said a visibly downcast Luphahla after the match.
The experiment misfired early. Simba looked blunt upfront, offering little threat. Highlanders capitalised when Adeogun slipped through an exposed defence to beat William Thole.
Luphahla admitted his players struggled to follow instructions.
“We changed the way we start our games, but maybe because of pressure, they failed to execute the two-touch play we wanted, especially in midfield. The boys rushed things, forcing one touches and it cost us crucial points at home.”
Soon after conceding, Simba Bhora’s owner, Simba Ndoro and his board were spotted in a tense meeting near the dugout. Within minutes, Luphahla responded by introducing Makunike and Boid Mutukure for Ndereki and Mtuche.
The hosts grew slightly steadier but continued to lack bite until the 41st minute when Bosso’s Andrew Mbeba was stretchered off with a groin injury. Moments later, Ncube struck back for Simba, restoring parity and giving the home crowd a flicker of hope.
Makunike nearly doubled the lead before halftime with a thunderous long range strike that skimmed over the bar.
After the break, both sides traded blows in a tense, physical contest. In the 60th minute, Luphahla threw on Ziocha, Mudadi, and top scorer Isaskar Gurirab to boost the attack. The trio brought energy and creativity, but Highlanders’ defence, marshalled by an inspired Ariel Sibanda, held firm.
Ziocha came closest to winning it in the 77th minute, driving into the box after a sharp Gurirab pass, only to be denied by Sibanda’s quick reflexes.
As pressure mounted, tempers flared. Players, coaches, and officials exchanged heated words, turning the closing stages into a storm of frustration and fouls.
“We hit a bad patch at a bad phase of the campaign. I’m disappointed in myself, but above all, we learnt a lot,” Luphahla reflected.
Highlanders, meanwhile, return to Bulawayo still not entirely safe from the drop.
Coach Pieter de Jongh, though, found comfort in the draw.
“Wadzanayi is not an easy venue for visiting teams. It’s difficult for anyone to win here, and I’m happy my boys showed a lot of character,” he said.
“The game was tense. We had to remain calm because if we had gone at them the same way, we would have lost. This point is important for us. We just need at least three from the last two games, but there’s no reason to panic.”
SOURCE: THE HERALD
