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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
Bantu Rovers 2-1 Chicken Inn
A BRACE by Bantu Rovers defender Proud “S’jankala” Zireni saw Tshintsha Guluva put an end to their three-match winless streak as they beat Chicken Inn to claim their second derby win of the season in a Castle Premiership match at Luveve Stadium yesterday.
The former national Under-20 utility player gave his side the lead in the 22nd minute heading home a Nqobizitha Masuku cross which Chicken Inn goalkeeper Liberty Chirava had fumbled.
Thirteen minutes later Zireni turned villain as the ball hit him on the stomach to beat his goalkeeper Takunda Mutanga.
With the match seemingly headed for a stalemate, second half substitute Fortune “Fokoza” Ncube, who came in for Sizalobuhle Dube, sent a long throw-in five minutes before fulltime which Zireni flicked beyond the reach of Chirava and became a hero for his team as they collected maximum points.
“We fought well as a team and when we came for this game we told ourselves that we cannot lose to Chicken Inn because they were beaten by How Mine who we had taken three points from. I am happy that we managed to collect maximum points and as for the own goal, it doesn’t matter anymore as long as we managed to pick maximum points,” said Zireni.
Despite winning, there were no positional changes on the log with Bantu Rovers remaining glued to position 12 with nine points while Chicken Inn are 10th with the same number of points but have a superior goal difference.
Chicken Inn should have taken the lead in the seventh minute when Moses Jackson rose high to head a Clemence Matawu cross only to be denied by the upright.
Two minutes later, it was Bantu Rovers’ turn to throw away a scoring opportunity after brilliant inter-play involving captain Masuku, Sizalobuhle Dube and Tafadzwa Kutinyu whose header missed the target by inches.
From then on, it was end to end action.
Both teams ended the match with 10 players each after referee Thabani Bhamala gave a straight red card to Bantu Rovers’ rightback Lawson Nkomo 10 minutes into the second half for an open foot challenge that missed Canaan Nkomo. Chicken Inn’s striker Ishmael Lawe followed Nkomo for an early shower just after the hour mark. The Gamecocks player was guilty of a late challenge on Bantu Rovers’ goalkeeper Mutanga and Bhamala had to consult his assistant Salani Ncube before flashing a red card to Lawe.
The second half saw both teams creating a few scoring opportunities with Chicken Inn’s best falling to Tendai “Kid” Mukambi in the 78th minute who failed to connect a George Majika cross from the left, shooting straight into the hands of Mutanga.
“We are losing it in elementary areas and we concede soft goals which make it difficult for us to come back into the game. The pressure is always there but we are going to try and rectify our mistakes,” said Chicken Inn’s coach Joey Antipas.
Teams
Bantu Rovers: Takunda Mutanga, Zephaniah Ngodzo, Emberton Tshuma, Master Mlangeni, Tafadzwa Ngwena, Bukhosi Sibanda (Obadiah Tarumbwa, 46th minute), Tafadzwa Kutinyu, Lawson Nkomo, Proud Zireni, Nqobizitha Masuku (Thandazani Ndlovu, 80th minute), Sizalobuhle Dube (Fortune Ncube, 69th minute)
Chicken Inn: Liberty Chirava, Moses Jackson, Brian Mbiriri, Passmore Bernard, Lawrence Mhlanga, Brian Juru (Mkhokheli Dube, 69th minute), Danny Phiri, Clemence Matawu, Canaan Nkomo (George Majika, 58th minute), Ishmael Lawe, Tendai Mukambi (Graham Ncube, 83rd minute)
Online Reporter