Highlanders coach Erol Akbay is excited to welcome back Young Warriors forward Prince Dube in the team as the Bulawayo giants look to bounce back to winning ways on Thursday afternoon with a home fixture against Mutare City Rovers at Barbourfields.

The rookie forward has been enjoying fine form in his first year in the Premiership, scoring some crucial goals for the giants, but was sorely missed after he picked up an injury before their game against CAPS United at the National Sports Stadium last Sunday.

Bosso lost the match 1-0. Akbay on Wednesday said they cannot afford to drop points at home and is confident Highlanders will bounce back in the title race after giving away considerable ground with the defeat by Makepekepe.

“We played very bad football in our last match. But it happens in football when you make too many changes to the team that has been playing all along.  

“We have had so many changes in the last game because of injuries but now we are expecting some of the players back. Our young striker Prince (Dube) is looking fine, he has been training with the rest of the team and Honest (Moyo) is also almost okay while Rahman (Kutsanzira) played in the last game although he is not yet 100 percent.

“So we only have Benson Phiri injured. But we are a big team, we shouldn’t be worrying about one or two players,” said Akbay.    

 “The most important thing for us at the moment is to get maximum points at home. We cannot lose two matches in succession. So we are focusing on winning our games and then hope that in the future FC Platinum and CAPS United drop points.

 “Last time in Mutare I think the guys focused more on the state of the pitch than on the match itself. So this time we are at home and we have to be focused,” said Akbay.

Highlanders are currently third in the race with 31 points while Mutare City are second from the bottom with 12 points from 16 starts.

However, Mutare City Rovers gaffer Taku Shariwa believes his team has what it takes to derail Highlanders’ title hopes.

The relegation haunted Mutare outfit coach reckons the gulf in depth between the two teams but thinks his club will have the advantage of being under less pressure to win the match than their opponents.  

“Highlanders are a bigger team than us. They have been playing below par and facing them at this juncture is an advantage to us. We can beat them in their own backyard.

“We are not intimidated by their status. I think we need the three points more than them.

“It is sad that teams have been complaining about biased officiating and we can only pray and hope that we will also not be subjected to it.

“We need to swap positions with Tsholotsho and playing against them here at Sakubva is an advantage to us. We really need to maximise on that,” said Shariwa.

Mutare have all their players available for the match except goalkeeper Phillip Nhete who has gone for trials in Tanzania.

Fixtures

Thursday: Dynamos v How Mine (Rufaro), Highlanders v Mutare City (Barbourfields)

Saturday: Bulawayo City v Hwange (Barbourfields); ZPC Kariba v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Nyamhunga); Chicken Inn v Chapungu (Luveve); CAPS United  v FC Platinum (National Sports Stadium)

Sunday: Triangle United v Highlanders (Gibbo); How Mine v Harare City (Luveve); Border Strikers v Dynamos (Dulivhadzimo); Mutare City Rovers v Tsholotsho (Sakubva).