adminA 75th-minute scrambled goal by big striker Tongai Magwendere was enough to earn Hwange maximum points in this Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at the Colliery yesterday .
Hwange registered their first win of the season three weeks ago when they beat Shooting Stars 2-0 at home only to succumb to a 1-0 defeat to Black Mambas last weekend in Harare.
But they quickly got their act together to eke out a tough win over the stubborn Tamba Wakaguta boys yesterday.
A long throw-in by rightback Tonisani Sibelo confused the visitors defence, resulting in a goalmouth melee which ended with Magwendere scrambling the ball home.
Hwange’s team manager Tennant Chilumba said he is taking all the pressure coming his way but had no kind words for the fans whom he said have been always sharpening their daggers for him.
“The (Hwange) fans are piling all sorts of pressure on me and are even asking why a Zambian was employed in this job in the first place, but I will leave them to continue talking while we try to get results on the pitch like we did today.
“The team’s management committee is fully behind me. The same fans have seen me from last year so it’s up to them to continue talking while I concentrate on the coming games,” said Chilumba after the match.
Blue Ribbon coach Misheck Chidzambwa lamented the missed chances by his side.
“We missed a lot of chances in the game and it was unfortunate that we conceded a simple goal towards the end of the match,” he said.
The Harare side’s gaffer has every reason to bemoan the glut of chances which went begging as his charges could have at least got a draw from their purposeful play.
Yesterday’s match only livened up on the quarter hour mark when the visitors launched a dangerous move revolving around their man-of-the-match Tinei Chitora who combined well with Evans Katema and Felix Kuswatuka.
Magwendere thought he had grabbed the opener for the home side in the 26th minute but his volley rattled against the crossbar with Earnmore Hamandishe beaten, leaving Rodwell Chunyengetere to pounce on the rebound which was smothered by Hamandishe.
Not to be outdone, the visitors launched a counter-attack moments later again through Chitora but Kuswatuka’s grounder just missed the left upright with the Blue Ribbon bench already celebrating.
The coalminers were a rejuvenated side in the second half but Gilbert Zulu and Nkosana missed two glorious chances inside the first five minutes.
Blue Ribbon then started to pour forward and could have silenced the home fans in the 71st minute when former Hwange player and team captain Daniel Kamunenga’s hard and low shot the upright post and bounced back into play with goalkeeper Timothy Sibanda a well beaten man. That was before Blue Ribbon gave away the winning goal to the home side four minutes later when Magwendere pushed the ball home past a forest of legs to pacify the drum beating home fans.
Hwange now have 10 points from nine games, a poor start by their standards and need to psyche themselves up for a tricky midweek encounter against CAPS United.
Teams
Hwange
T. Sibanda, G. Ndlovu, A. Katebe, T. Sibelo, A. Tshuma, M. Mungadze, N. Siwela (F. Zekumbawire 89th minute), W. Muhango (K. Kachema 64th minute), R. Chinyengetere, G. Zulu, T. Magwendere.
Blue Ribbon
E. Hamandishe, T. Khumbuyani, J. Jam, D. Kamunenga, F. Kuswatuka, B. Tuwaya, E. Katema, C. Boroma, C. Rukwanhi, T. Chitora, E. Mwinga.
Online Reporter
- Chronicle
- June 5, 2026
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