Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
Yadah 0-Bikita Minerals (0)1
FITZGERALD Banda eased Bikita Minerals’ relegation worries yesterday, heading in a dramatic late winner that sank fellow strugglers Yadah at Heart Stadium.
The match had been billed as a tense fight for survival, but for most of the afternoon neither team looked capable of taking it. Passes broke down easily, clear chances were rare, and the crowd’s tension grew as every minute ticked by.
Bikita finally broke through at the death. Banda rose to meet a perfectly delivered corner from Pascal Shumbaimwe and powered the ball past the helpless Yadah goalkeeper.
The victory is a relief for a club that only secured their top flight status on the last day of their debut season by beating Hwange. This year’s campaign has been another grind, but the way they fought yesterday suggested a team ready to secure safety earlier.
Assistant coach Arnold Jani called the shots from the dugout, with head coach Wilson Mtekede on COSAFA Under-17 duties but in touch throughout. Mtekede praised the effort from afar.
“I am happy we have moved a bit away from the relegation zone,” said Mtekede.
“I would like to also acknowledge my deputy Arnold Jani for the effort he put in. My salute to the players who fought their hearts out.
“We know we are not yet very safe from the chop but we have given ourselves some firm ground to stand on while fighting. We don’t want to be in the same desperate situation we were in last year when we needed to win to survive on the last day. We have everything in our hands right now but we know the remainder of the race will be very bumpy.”
Before Banda’s decisive header, Shumbaimwe had gone closest to opening the scoring with a thunderous volley that skimmed past the upright.
Yadah, who have a history of late season escapes, remain in danger. They sit on 29 points from 28 games and need an urgent response in their remaining six fixtures.
Coach Takaendesa Jongwe cut a dejected figure at the final whistle, well aware that his side is still too close to the drop.
