Chicken Inn lose

Zimpapers Sports Hub

FORMER Zimbabwe international, Khama Billiat scored two first-half penalties as Yadah ended Chicken Inn’s three-match winning run with a 2-1 victory in an incident-packed Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at the Heart Stadium in Harare yesterday.

Billiat has now scored three goals in two games having grabbed the equaliser in a 2-2 draw with champions Ngezi Platinum at Baobab on Wednesday.

It was Yadah’s first win at their Heart Stadium on the third attempt and the first time they won a game with Khama in the line-up as the former Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Ajax Cape Town star missed the only other win, away to TelOne due to injury.

Chicken Inn finished the match with 10 men after Danny Phiri was given a straight red card for rough play after 15 minutes when Yadah were leading 1-0.

The visitors were, however, not happy with referee Lawrence Zimondi and when the second penalty was awarded for a foul on Evans Rusike just before half-time, a furious Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas went onto the field of play and ordered his players out.

This resulted in a lengthy stoppage as other members of the Chicken Inn technical department took turns to convince Antipas to let play resume. And Billiat kept his cool to send Donovan the wrong way again to make it 2-0.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chicken Inn looked technically superior and pulled a goal back via a brilliant breakaway in the 64th minute through substitute Marlvin Hwata, setting the stage for a nail-biting finish.

Chicken Inn took advantage of the decision by Yadah coach Thomas Ruzive to take out Rusike, who had kept the visitors’ defenders busy until the substitution. With a bit of composure, Chicken Inn could have snatched a last minute equaliser and gone top of the league.Meanwhile, at Wadzanai Stadium in Shamva, ambitious Simba Bhora had to salvage a 1-1 draw at home to TelOne yesterday.