SCOTTLAND SEEK RUFARO REPRIEVE

NEWCOMERS Scottland will be desperate to end the poor run of results at their temporary home ground, Rufaro Stadium, when they host traditional giants Highlanders in the only Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match on Sunday.

Scottland, who are building a home in Mabvuku, have a problematic relationship with Rufaro where they have suffered three of their four defeats to date with the other loss coming against MWOS at Ngoni Stadium in Norton.  

Crucially, Scottland lost their last two home matches against TelOne and CAPS United by a single goal and only ended a four-match winless run with a 2-1 comeback victory over former champions, Ngezi Platinum at the Baobab Stadium on Saturday.

It was a huge win for Scottland, coming after Ngezi Platinum had handed newcomers and pacesetters MWOS their first defeat of the season on their previous match at the Baobab -winning 3-1.

Now they seek a second successive win against a Highlanders side also celebrating ending a winless run after a 1-0 win over GreenFuel at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday. 

The blockbuster reverse fixture ended in a 1-1 draw at Barbourfields with former Bulawayo Chiefs linkman, Mthokozisi Msebe grabbing the equaliser from virtually the final effort of the match. 

It was a historic match for Scottland.

• It was the FIRST time Scottland won a match away from Rufaro Stadium in their debut season. Until the match at the Baobab, Scottland’s seven wins had all been at Rufaro Stadium against Triangle, CAPS United, Bikita Minerals, Simba Bhora, Dynamos, Herentals and Kwekwe United.

• It was the first victory at the Baobab Stadium for Scottland coach Tonderai Ndiraya since leaving the Mhondoro-Ngezi club.

“It was a very special day for me, it’s been difficult. In those attempts that we’ve tried, we failed to win and in the end, it was not an ordinary win. Coming here at Baobab Stadium, a fortress, and getting maximum points is quite special. Not so many teams can come here and get points, maximum points for that matter.

“This season I think we are only the second team after Yadah to do so. It was a special day for me and for the team in our first season in the league and also a special day for the supporters, they had suffered for weeks,” said Ndiraya after the match.  

• It was the first time this season that Scottland won a match after conceding the openinggoal. Until Saturday at the Baobab, Scottland had dropped points in ALL the matches they conceded first. These were against Ngezi Platinum at Rufaro (0-1), against Highlanders at Barbourfields (1-1), against GreenFuel in Chisumbanje (2-2), against TelOne at Rufaro (0-1) and CAPS United at Rufaro (0-1). 

• It was the first time Scottland scored two goals in the first half. 

• Midfielder Mthokozisi Msebe became the first Scottland player to score a Premiership brace this season. With the two goals against Ngezi Platinum, Msebe became the club’s leading scorer with five goals, one more than striker Tymon Machope.

• Scottland became the first team to wear two different kits in the same match following a 15-minute delay to kick off. The newcomers had travelled with two sets of kit (blue and black) and were forced to mix them to minimise the clash of colours with the home team. A white kit was rushed from Harare and arrived at halftime and in time for the second half. 

Speaking after Saturday’s win at the Baobab, Ndiraya said their hope is to build on the big win over Ngezi Platinum.

He, however, does not believe they have a say in the title race at the moment as they trail joint leaders, Simba Bhora and MWOS by nine points.  

“That win came at the right time and hopefully we can hit the right chord and start picking points going forward. 

“We are so many points behind, and I must be honest. Of course, we still believe, there are still many points to play for but I think all that is going to be decided by how consistent we are going to be after this game.

“We have to pick maximum points and hope that other teams drop points but its not in our hands at the moment. I think the top two teams are firmly in control and what we were focusing on is to take ourselves out of the phase that we were in.”

Lawrence Moyo