Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze in MHONDORO-NGEZI
AFTER waiting for almost two months to conclude their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League fixture against Hardrock, giants Dynamos travelled back to Harare from Mhondoro-Ngezi with their heads high after summoning their experience to edge the Kwekwe newboys in the remaining 14 minutes of the encounter.
Both teams had played the initial 76 minutes at Chahwanda before the match was aborted due to crowd trouble.
Veteran striker Moses Demera’s goal at the death eventually decided the match at Baobab yesterday and gave Dynamos a 2-1 win.
Demera latched onto a rebound after Frank Agymeyang had seen his ferocious shot cannon off the woodwork.
And with the PSL judgment on the match ruling that only personnel from the abortive game were to be involved, DeMbare had to once again turn to team manager Ronald “Gidiza’’ Sibanda to direct operations from the dugout.
This is because the coach who was in charge on May 24, when the game at Chahwanda ended prematurely with the teams tied 1-1, Genesis Mangombe has since left the club and is now at Triangle United.
In the aborted clash, Dynamos had surged ahead via a centre back Misheck Ngwenya’s own goal before Wilfred Madzungu cancelled it out in the second half off a hotly disputed penalty.
Resultantly, the PSL Disciplinary Committee ordered a conclusion of the remaining 14-minutes of the match, behind closed doors, at a neutral Baobab.
Both clubs were also fined US$10 000 for violating the league’s rules and regulations.
The PSL also ordered that Hardrock will play an extra match behind closed doors.
In yesterday’s game, Dynamos were the first to take a sniff at goal when Trevor Mavhunga took his effort over the bar after failing to convert a Witness Shave cross from the right wing with five minutes of action played.
From then on, it became a pound-for-pound affair with both sides fighting for possession.
Donald Mudadi almost found the lead for Hardrock with an effort from a distance that, however, went wide.
Dynamos then sat back, defending relentlessly while Hardrock tried to find a breakthrough.
After the match, Sibanda paid tribute to his side for sticking to their plan and collecting maximum points.
“When we prepared for this game, reminding each other that playing just 14 minutes would not be easy, we agreed that it should be handled like a cup game, where you go guns blazing without reservations.
“We knew a goal or more would come; we had prepared and planned for that . . . when the match was abandoned in Kwekwe, we were on top of the situation, so today (yesterday) the boys had a point to prove.
“We knew that one day the fixture would be played, so we were just waiting for judgment with some unfinished business at the back of our minds,” said Sibanda.
Hardrock coach Kelvin Kaindu revealed difficulties in preparing for a 14-minute showdown.
“Preparing for this game was difficult for us; this is the first time that I have seen such, but we had to do it anyway.
“Sometimes you do not even know what to say in situations like these as a coach, maybe the game should have been played at our home, it would have been better for us.
“I am disappointed that we lost even the point that we had in just less than 15 minutes. We made that mistake of failing to clear the ball, and they capitalised.
“Our game plan did not work,” Kaindu said.
With PSL ordering that each side should use the same players who did duty in the abandoned match, Dynamos was forced to field some injured players.
Defender Hastings Chapusha picked up an injury weeks after the incident and had to endure a pain-killing injection before the game.
Injured goalkeeper Idrissou Nfor also had to play as Dynamos had already exhausted their five substitutes when they played at Chahwanda, hence they could not make any more changes at Baobab.
“I am impressed that the boys stepped up and committed to play with their injuries; they had to be injected . . . our hands were tied, but this is not how you want things to go,” added Sibanda.
