• Marere stunner marks Dynamos' greatest win • Kiglon surrender lead to Chapungu • Highlanders close in on unbeaten Kiglon • Mapeza turns tables on Chunga as Monos win • Highlanders surrender before hostile Gwanzura • 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 Sports Reporter

El Merreikh ……….3
Highlanders ………1
(El Merreikh win 5-1 aggregate)

HIGHLANDERS were planning to launch an appeal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Monday, a day after they played their delayed Confederations Cup match with El Merreikh in the backdrop of a raging war in Sudan.

Highlanders, already 2-0 down from the first leg in Harare, were beaten 3-1 and crashed out 5-1 on aggregate.

Speaking from Northampton, England, Ernest Sibanda, the Highlanders chairman, said they planned to make a “strong appeal”.

“We should have played on Saturday, but the game was moved to Sunday due to war. The team was told not to leave the hotel during that time. You can’t play football in that atmosphere,” Sibanda told New Zimbabwe.com.

“I am waiting for the full report from our officials who travelled with the team, but be in no doubt that we will make a strong appeal against being forced to play in a war zone.”

Sudanese forces were involved in clashes with rebels not too far from the Omburdman suburb where the Al Merreikh Stadium is located in the capital Khartoum.

The match was postponed from Saturday to 5PM on Sunday, with Highlanders playing under protest.

Acting club chairman Elkanah Dube and head of delegation Stanley Ntenezi wrote a protest letter to CAF before kick-off.

CAF is notorious for refusing to listen to appeals, most notably in 2003 when South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs were banned for two years for refusing to play in war-ravaged Madagascar. Following the experience, Chiefs excluded themselves from CAF competitions indefinitely.

Before the match kicked off Sunday, the streets of Khartoum were swarmed by security forces, with road blocks and searches every few hundred metres.

Highlanders had a good start, Cuthbert Malajila heading them into the lead in the 24th minute. But the hosts were level on 37 minutes through Hashim Pabl.

El Merreikh virtually subdued the visitors when Mohammed Alagab struck twice late on to round off a miserable night for Methembe Ndlovu.
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