Chronicle Editor
Tadious Manyepo, Harare Bureau
Dynamos 2-3 Bulawayo Chiefs
FURIOUS Dynamos supporters booed their own players while applauding the opponents on a frustrating afternoon for the giants in this Castle Lager Premier Soccer League defeat at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
Impressive Bulawayo Chiefs playmaker Mthokozisi Msebe opened the scoring and veteran Danny “Deco” Phiri weighed in with a brace to down the Glamour Boys who had twice equalised through Frank Makarati and Tanaka Shandirwa.
This was DeMbare’s first defeat of the season but it technically felt like a second loss at the bounce as the giants were coming from two consecutive goalless draws against Cranborne Bullets and Simba Bhora.
Even the fans who had been turning out in huge numbers in the club’s first four matches appear to have been switched off with the not-so-enticing type of football Dynamos are playing.
The patient few who made their way to the giant facility yesterday were left scratching their heads as Amakhosi Amahle dominated every aspect of play as if they were the home side to pick up their first ever win over the Glamour Boys in Harare since they made their maiden dance in the PSL in 2018.
Although DeMbare asked the early questions with Emmanuel Jalai getting close to find the opener, it was Msebe who broke the ice at the opposite end in the 19th minute.
The midfielder nodded home a perfectly flighted cross from Farau Matare as the Dynamos defenders paraded their flaws in dealing with crosses.
With Chiefs finding the opener and dictating proceedings, Dynamos were handed a lifeline, albeit in dubious circumstances when referee Tichaona Mbire adjudged that Chiefs skipper Malvin Mkolo had handled inside the box and awarded Dynamos a penalty.
The Bulawayo Chiefs players briefly walked to their dugout in protest over the penalty resulting in a seven-minute stoppage of play.
Television replays showed that the ball had hit Mkolo’s knee and not his hand.
Makarati took the responsibility and sliced home though Bulawayo Chiefs goalkeeper Khulekani Dube almost saved the spot kick.
Chiefs were ahead again two minutes after the restart with Phiri heading in the first of his two.
It looked like the visitors would have a field day capped with a goal harvest given the way they dominated play in the second half.
Even Msebe hit the upright when finding himself unmarked in the box.
Dynamos coach, Herbert Maruwa, then injected some fresh legs but it was Keith Madera and Tendai Matindife who were better equipped to change the game.
With Bulawayo Chiefs continuously failing to stretch their lead, Matindife did well in the left channel and launched a good low and hard cross that was bundled home by Shandirwa with 13 minutes still on the clock.
But there was still time for Bulawayo Chiefs to clip their first win of the season right at the death with Phiri heading in his second from a Msebe corner kick to take home the full points.
It was the first win this season for Chiefs, which took their points tally to six and are now 14th on the log after six games.
DeMbare, on the other hand, remained with eight points to their name and dropped to eighth on the table in five game.
Maruwa was disappointed with his team’s defending.
“This is the first time that we have conceded three goals through headers, maybe there was a lot of complacency at the back. We did very well maybe in terms of coming back but our defending wasn’t okay,” said Maruwa.
His triumphant Bulawayo Chiefs counterpart Lizwe Sweswe praised his charges’ spirit.
“The boys did very well not just in this game but I think even in the last two games. We have been trying and I have been telling these boys to just trust the process,” said Sweswe.
Teams
Dynamos: Taimon Mvula, Elvis Moyo, Kevin Moyo, Issa Sadiki (Matindife 62 mins) Donald Dzvinyai (Nyahwa 53 mins), Frank Makarati, Emmanuel Jalai, Arthur Musiyiwa(Madera 53 mins), Jayden Bakare(Chikona 62 mins), Nyasha Chintuli (Ilunga 53 mins), Tanaka Shandirwa
Bulawayo Chiefs: Khulekani Dube, Kim Sibanda, Mthokozisi Msebe, Malvin Mkolo, Brian Rusinga, Panashe Shoko (Gasela 46 mins), Danny Phiri, Billy Veremu, Felix Moyo, Farau Matare(Dlodlo 81 mins), Ayanda Ncube.
— @manyepotaddy3
Online Reporter