• Dynamos beat African champions • Monomotapa flops pile pressure on Mapeza • Hotel farce forces Highlanders to play in Harare • Kiglon soar as Dynamos, H'landers stutter • Stars over the moon after Independence Trophy win • Kiglon maintain fairytale start to season • Sadomba double lifts Dynamos • Highlanders held by Lengthens • Kiglon shoot down Stars to go top • Dynamos survive Mozambique scare • Malajila stars as H'landers gore Buffaloes • Dynamos take commanding lead over Sol • Malajila earns Highlanders draw in Zambia • Police call off league matches over poll violence fears • Busy schedule for league teams over Easter • Highlanders rampage as Dynamos, CAPS draw • CBZ unveils $4,5 trillion league sponsorship deal • 2008 Premier Soccer League Fixtures

By Nkanyiso Moyo

Highlanders……0
El Merreikh…….2

HIGHLANDERS’ chances of making progress in the Confederations Cup hung by the proverbial gossamer thread on Saturday after a 2-0 defeat by Sudanese club El Merreikh before a hostile Gwanzura Stadium.

Forced to play in Harare after failing to secure hotel accommodation for the visitors in Bulawayo, Highlanders played like an away side in front of a few thousand spectators who inevitably included curious locals whose allegiances lie with bitter rivals, Dynamos.

The Dynamos fans, whose team was only playing 24 hours later at the same venue, sang themselves coarse, delighting at the sight of a common foe surrendering to the Sudanese visitors.

Highlanders coach Methembe Ndlovu spoke of the “hostile atmosphere” in his post-match interview, a factor that may have wreaked havoc on the psychological mindset of his players.

Highlanders were unable to penetrate the solid El Merreikh defence that had five men protecting the huge frame of goalkeeper Hafez Ahmed.

After bravely holding the big and strong visitors in the first 45 minutes, Highlanders, playing a continental fixture in Harare for the first time,
cracked and allowed the Sudanese to steal a precious away goal on 57 minutes.

Badr Eldin Eldood’s weak header from Faisal Agab’s cross somehow eluded Washington Arubi, and Highlanders had never looked more in trouble.

If one away goal was a disaster, a second for last year’s Confederations Cup finalists on 74 minutes left Highlanders on the verge of catastrophe. And how the Dynamos fans loved it!

Substitute Alaa Abelzhar, with only two minutes on the pitch, somehow managed to put a shot away despite being sandwiched between Gilbert Banda and Peter Makuvise. Arubi, diving low to his right, stood no chance.

In truth, El Merrreikh were tactically and technically superior. But Highlanders also had their chances.

A 20th minute burst by Anzilom Ndlovu saw him sliding past a defender and combining with hardworking Wellington Sibanda to produce a cross that was headed wide by Cuthbert Malajila.

Substitute Mkhupali Masuku blasted into the sky after Malajila slid the ball to him following good work by Sibanda on the right.

PRAYERFUL: Highlanders huddle together before the game in front of the small crowd at Gwanzura Stadium

The defeat was hard to take for Ndlovu, whose team were denied the use of their beloved Barbourfields Stadium by the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair which took up every hotel room in Bulawayo.

"The environment was hostile to my players,” Ndlovu moaned. “Had we played at Barbourfields Stadium, the story could have been different. I am sure about that. But it’s possible to turn the tables in Sudan. If they scored here, what can stop us from scoring in their backyard?"
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