DeMbare powers past ZESCO

Kay Kalumiana in NDOLA, Zambia

ZESCO United ………………………… 0

Dynamos ………………………………. 0

(Dynamos won 1-0 on aggregate)

LLOYD CHIGOWE had demanded that his charges play with pride and like real soldiers against ZESCO United at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola here yesterday.

The Dynamos coach was duly rewarded with a battling show as the Harare giants weathered an onslaught from the hosts to secure their place in the second round.

In the end, midfielder Tanaka Shandirwa’s 30th-minute goal from the first leg in Gaborone, Botswana, proved enough to eliminate ZESCO.

Dynamos will now await the outcome of this afternoon’s game between Orapa United of Botswana and Seychelles outfit Forrester to know the identity of their second-round opponents.

Orapa and Forrester clash in Gaborone, with the two teams tied 1-1.

But for Chigowe and his blue army, they can savour a triumphant return to CAF inter-club competitions after a 10-year absence.

Given the manner in which Dynamos have been struggling in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, not many would have bet on Chigowe’s men clearing the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary hurdle.

In his pre-match press conferences, Chigowe had maintained that Dynamos have the pedigree to compete with some of Africa’s top sides.

The 60-year-old lanky coach would, however, be the first to admit that ZESCO gave them a good run for their money in Ndola yesterday.

ZESCO arrived at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium with the intention of getting at least an early goal to cancel out Shandirwa’s first-leg strike. And they duly forced Dynamos to spend most of the first half in their own half.

But the hosts were simply wasteful.

In the 11th minute, Dynamos were fortunate that ZESCO striker Alex Ngonga’s final touch was poor and was easily dealt with by goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa.

But Dynamos still looked promising when they had the opportunity to go forward. Three minutes after surviving the ZESCO threat, Emmanuel Paga was unlucky to see his shot inside the box come off a wall of the hosts’ defenders.

Temptation Chiwunga then made a fine run from the halfway line into the ZESCO box but he fired his 24th-minute effort wide.

Issa Sadiki and Paga later combined with a neat exchange of passes into the ZESCO box after 39 minutes but again the killer touch continued to elude Dynamos, as their hosts finished stronger heading into the break. The second stanza was still a ZESCO affair.

ZESCO’s best player on show Abraham Siankombo, thought he had found his side’s leveller in the 60th minute, watched in disbelief as Tafiremutsa parried his volley out.

Dynamos, who exhibited a lot of confidence in their game, then resorted to just soak up the ZESCO pressure and attempting to catch their opponents on the break.

One such counter-raid came in the 70th minute when they gave ZESCO a huge scare as Shandirwa’s volley went just inches wide.