Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
IN a forgettable Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season in which they are still stuck in the relegation mire, perhaps Denver “Mundikumbuke” Mukamba is the on-field leader that ailing Dynamos badly needed for inspiration.
And inspire them he did, with the veteran midfielder rising from the bench to lead the struggling giants, who finished the game with 10 men, in what has been a rare victory this year.
While Dynamos were ending their barren spell, rampant Scottland were inflicting the first and yet biggest defeat on FC Platinum at their Mandava fortress.
Champions Simba Bhora clung on to top spot with a narrow 1-0 win over Chicken Inn at Wadzanai, Rodwell Dhlakama’s GreenFuel bounced back from their home defeat by FC Platinum to beat ZPC Kariba 1-0, Yadah Stars and Triangle featured in a 0-0 draw and Manica Diamonds ended a nine-match winless run with a 1-0 triumph over TelOne.
Until yesterday’s 5-2 humiliation in Zvishavane, FC Platinum had been the only team in the Premiership still to taste defeat.
As for Dynamos, yesterday’s 1-0 win over MWOS via a disputed 71st-minute Temptation Chiwunga penalty was only their third in 24 matches.
And Mukamba was instrumental in ensuring Dynamos won the spot kick, his dinking effort from an acute angle having been spilled by MWOS goalkeeper Martin Mapisa.
And in a desperate effort to clear the spill, defender Tafadzwa Nyabunze was adjudged by referee Tafadzwa Zhou to have fouled Jairos Kasondo.
That was just a minute after DeMbare had suffered a setback, with midfielder Shadreck Nyahwa being sent off for a second bookable offence.
Mukamba played with swagger, leadership and fearlessness, throwing himself into every challenge.
For once this season, the Harare giants gave fans a glimpse of the team they used to be.
Before kick-off, the energy inside Rufaro was electric.
Anticipation surged through the crowd, and when Mukamba led his teammates to salute the Vietnam Stand, it was clear this was not going to be just another game.
Dynamos assistant coach Thomas Ruzive, who stood in for new gaffer Kelvin Kaindu, was visibly elated, praising his boys for an impressive performance.
“The boys responded very well from the onset; they showed a lot of character and I am happy that, as coaches, we could tell which direction our play was going,” he said.
“We have won a massive three points, it goes a long way in our relegation fight and in boosting confidence in camp, going forward.
“When a team does well like this, it gives confidence to the technical department and with what we did today, I am confident that we can survive the chop.”
Ahead of this clash, Dynamos sat second from the bottom of the standings with a mere 16 points in 23 games.
They had not won a match in their last seven games after finding the net only six times this season, while they have conceded 21 times.
Their depressing form means they will remain in this undesirable spot, even after this crucial win.
MWOS, who led for much of the first half of the season, have not won in their last four games, but coach Lloyd Mutasa is unfazed, insisting it is part of a learning curve for the newboys.
“They have already exceeded expectations and at this stage, all they need is for us to be patient and let them enjoy the game as they get used to top-flight competition,” he said.
“We did not do well today, but we are not in bad shape, we can surely pick ourselves up and bounce back to winning ways.
“We are still within range of achieving a top-eight season finish, we just have to ensure that the boys restore their confidence going forward.”
Scottland smash records, beat FC Platinum in wild 5-2 upset
It was supposed to be just another stop to FC Platinum’s unbeaten run. Instead, it turned into a historic afternoon that left a trail of shattered records and a stunned Zvishavane crowd in its wake.
In just their debut season, Scottland did not just beat the four-time champions; they tore through them.
The 5-2 win marked the most goals Platinum have ever conceded in a Premiership match, their first defeat of the season and the first time Norman Mapeza has overseen a side that leaked five goals.
Scottland’s rise? No fluke. This was their fifth win in a row, a statement victory over the league’s most consistent side, and a performance powered by debutants, reclaimed stars and sheer hunger.
“It’s my first time,” said Mapeza, when asked if he had ever presided over a team that conceded five goals. “But I think we gave away three goals. Those mistakes cost us everything.”
Everything about this match screamed new beginnings. Scottland scored five goals for the first time in the top-flight. It was Knowledge Musona’s debut, returning home in the mid-season window.
Moses Shidolo, also a midseason arrival, got his first goal.
Mafios Chihweta debuted with two assists.
And Albert Manenji finally opened his account after joining from Simba Bhora.
This was not a fluke. It was a rout built on speed, pressure and sharp execution.
Yet the game kicked off with relentless tempo.
It was Scottland who drew first blood when Walter Musona was brought down in the box by keeper David Bizabane.
A questionable call, but referee Mhaka Magare did not hesitate. Musona converted from the spot to make it 1-0.
FC Platinum struck back through Sherped Mhlanga, who finished off a Jarison Selemani corner in the 32nd minute.
But the parity did not last.
Just before half-time, Tymone Machope raced down the right, beat his marker and calmly slotted past Bizabane to restore Scottland’s lead. What came next buried FC Platinum.
In the 49th minute, Bizabane made a reckless attempt to dribble under pressure. Machope pounced, stole the ball and made it 3-1. Life seemed to drain from Mapeza’s side.
“If it had gone to halftime at 1–1, maybe we could keep fighting,” Mapeza admitted. “But that second goal, and then the third, it took everything out of us.”
Scottland smelled blood.
A clever reverse ball from Terrence Dzvukamanja found Chihweta, who set up Shidolo for the fourth.
Muvirimi’s headed goal from another Selemani corner gave FC Platinum a flicker of hope, but it was quickly snuffed out.
The final blow came from Manenji, who made a sharp run into the box and finished coolly after another smart pass from Chihweta, his second assist of the match.
Scottland did not just beat a title contender. They bulldozed history.
FC Platinum had not conceded five goals in the league since they joined in 2011. Mapeza had never watched one of his teams collapse like this. And Scottland? In just a few months, they have gone from newcomers to serious contenders, fearlessly rewriting the script.
