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Midfielder Cliff Sekete scored the only goal of the match, four minutes into time added on, but that was not enough as DeMbare paid dearly for the big 3-0 reverse leg defeat they suffered in Tunisia three weeks ago.
Going into yesterday’s match Dynamos, who already had a depleted squad, needed a glut of goals to rescue their campaign at this stage but with one of the key strikers, Francisco Zekumbawira missing the match through injury, it was only going to be tall order.
The Glamour Boys needed to score four goals, without reply, to progress to the next round or at least three goals to force a penalty shootout.
They had a fair share of chances early on but they couldn’t utilise them as their finishing was completely out of sorts.
Vice-captain Tawanda Muparati could at least have handed them the advantage in the 33rd minute when he received a return pass from Partson Jaure but inexplicably miscued his shot wide without anyone challenging him.
DeMbare’s twin strikers Boban Zirintusa and Farai Mupasiri were equally culpable as they appeared lost in the set-up and never troubled the opposition despite a series of forays into the opposition half.
The pair was caught napping in the 15th minute when leftback Ocean Mushure sent a good cross into the box and, with the Bizertin defenders hoping that South African referee Victor Gomez would blow for offside, the DeMbare strikers watched effortlessly as the ball sailed past the front of goal.
Muparati then tried a trademark long range effort from nearly the same position he scored against Lesotho Correctional Service in the preliminary round but goalkeeper Mustapha Ben Farrouk was equal to the task with a finger tip save.
With no goal for the hosts at half time, it meant pressure was always mounting for DeMbare with each passing minute as their chances of getting a goal also appeared next to none judging by the way they played.
Sekete, who scrambled home a late winner, did his best but he lacked support and played in patches.
The introduction of the youthful Tichaona Mabvura in the 56th minute breathed more life into DeMbare’s midfield.
Just as pressure was becoming unbearable on the field, frustration was also building in the terraces and the second assistant Lindikhaya Bolo felt the wrath of the Dynamos supporters.
Bolo had to run for cover when he was pelted with missiles from some supporters who were not amused by his off side decision on Zirintusa in the 72nd minute.
It was the culmination of a number of decisions that had gone against the home side.
DeMbare coach Callisto Pasuwa said their finishing let them down and bemoaned the absence of striker Zekumbawira who was injured during training last week.
“The offensive side of us was blunt. We couldn’t attack in numbers and lacked precision in front of goal. Maybe we needed (natural) strikers in attack,” said Pasuwa.
“We also didn’t have composure and were hurrying things in front of goal. We were getting into the attack third of the opponents but we couldn’t keep the ball or put it att the back of the nets.
“It was a big blow in losing one of our main strikers Zekumbawira. He was injured the day before yesterday (Friday) so we couldn’t do anything about. That was one of the setbacks.
“Maybe the big blow was losing one of our strikers and we didn’t have depth on the bench. The moment we lost Farai Mupasiri that was that, and we were replacing midfielders for strikers.”
Bizertin were also far from convincing and they did not get clear chances in the first half either.
The Tunisians only tested DeMbare goalkeeper Artwell Mukandi for the first time in the 48th minute when substitute Marouan Troudi tried an overhead kick but his ambitious effort was neatly punched over the cross bar by the goalkeper.
Troudi came close again in the 68th minute when he capitalised on a defensive blunder but Sydney Linyama, who partnered Augustine Mbara at centreback, made a timely intervention to block a grounder.
Bizertin coach, Mondher Kbaier, said he was happy with his team’s performance despite the narrow loss.
“We won the first game 3-0 and we knew this game was going to be difficult for us and needed to work hard as a team.
“Dynamos is a good team and they have the experience in the Champions League. CAB doesn’t have much experience and it’s a good result for us and we wish good luck to Dynamos.
“We wanted to get a good result, not only defending. Our plan was to play short passes in the middle and we only had one good opportunity in the second half while Dynamos had more chances, so 1-0 is a good result for our team,” said Kbaier.
Teams
Dynamos – A. Mukandi, P. Jaure, O. Mushure, S. Linyama, A. Mbara, T. Magorimbo, C. Sekete, T. Muparati, M. Murape (R. Madamombe, 78th minute), B. Zirintusa, F. Mupasiri (T. Mabvura, 56th minute)
CA Bizertin – F. Mustapha, H. Sediri, H. Mabrouk (K. Slimane, 33rd minute), J. Arbi, F. Jaziri, A. Harran, A. M’hadhbi (Y. Salhi, 82nd minute), Y. M’bengue (M. Troudi, 42nd minute), C. Bargaoui, K. Zaiem, O. Karekezi.
Online Reporter