adminBuffaloes………………………… (1) 2
Harare City ……………………..(0) 1BUFFALOES picked up their first set of maximum points at home when they edged Harare City 2-1 at Sakubva Stadium in a rather dull Castle Lager Premiership match played yesterday.
Going into Match Day 11, the struggling Mutare side had not won even a single match while playing at home and their only victory in all the 10 matches played so far in the season came out of a Manicaland derby in which they outplayed Dongo Sawmills away at Vengere stadium in Rusape recently.
There was really nothing entertaining in the first half of the match apart from the well struck thunderbolt that propelled the home team into the lead.
Both teams played defensively and hardly created clear-cut scoring opportunities until speedy Buffaloes striker Lloyd Katongomara pounced on a loose ball from just outside the box in the 36th minute to give the home team the lead.
The Mutare soldiers doubled the lead in the 62nd minute when Admire Dzumbunu did justice by intelligently connecting a fine cross from Kudzai Mangondo.
With a little bit more precision Buffaloes could have put the game beyond the reach of their determined opponents but somehow their strikers took turns to make a mess of some scoring opportunities.
Nine minutes from regulation time, the Sunshine Boys pulled one back thanks to a well struck Crispen Dickson indirect kick that left Buffaloes goalkeeper Blessing Mwandimutsira a well beaten man.
Harare City coach Taurai Mangwiro blamed his teams’ defeat on defensive blunders.
“I thought we played well and we put up a good fight but some elementary mistakes in the back cost us. We also paid the price of failing to mark tightly and you could tell by the way we conceded the second goal. It is quite unfortunate that we could not get the result that we wanted,” said Mangwiro.
His opposite number, Joseph “Shabba” Takaringofa was all smiles as he revelled in his team’s maiden league triumph on home soil.
“The boys have always been playing well and that was the same story today. We only failed to score and I am sure you have seen that we could have won even by a wider margin. However it feels good to finally win at home,” said the rookie Buffaloes coach.
Teams:
Buffaloes: B Mwandimutsira; K Mwaramba; F Banda; P Chandisaita; K Mangondo; H Madzivanyika; S Nkata (P Matizanadzo 80th min); L Katongomara; V Makaha; A Dzumbunu (R Mwenga 69th min); J Muzokomba:
Harare City: T Dube; T Mamvura (B Maglas 66th min); A Chivheya; T Samanja; T Ndlovu; C Dickson; J Jamu; H Makukutu; W Manondo (O Mukuradare 53rd min); H Chimutimunzeve; N Ziwini (M Vengesai 53rd min).
Online Reporter