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Ngqabutho Moyo Sports Reporter
Bantu Rovers 0-0 Hwange FC
HWANGE FC blew an opportunity to topple Highlanders FC and get into the top four as they shared spoils with relegation threatened Bantu Rovers yesterday.
The coalminers were tipped to collect maximum points at Hartsfield Stadium and further condemn Bantu Rovers into the murky relegation waters but found Tshintsha Guluva solid.
Hwange remained stuck on position five with 36 points, one behind fourth placed Highlanders after 24 rounds of matches.
The visitors were unlucky not to surge ahead nine minutes into the game after Munyaradzi Mungadze’s header off a corner kick was cleared on the goal line by Bantu Rovers’ defender Teenage Hadebe.
At the stroke of halftime Hwange piled pressure on the Bantu Rovers but Isaac Masame’s attempt at goal was brilliantly saved by the home team’s goalkeeper Takunda Mutanga.
Bantu Rovers coach Mandla Mpofu who picked his first point since taking over from Methembe Ndlovu admitted that their quest for an early goal failed to yield the desired result and praised his boys for coming out with a point.
“Our game plan was to try and get an early goal but we failed to create real scoring opportunities. We did our best to try and open them up but they were resolute in defence. We did well to get a point against a good side which is one of the best teams in the league,” Mpofu said.
The encounter failed to produce anything out of the ordinary as both sides failed to make an impression.
Stand-in Hwange coach Chenjerai Dube blamed the poor state of the Hartsfield Stadium for his team’s failure to get maximum points.
“Our players had a difficulties adjusting to the bumpy field and that contributed to us not creating effective chances to score our much needed goals,” said Dube
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derick.khumalo