Drama as Schoolboys hold Dynamos

Tadious Manyepo, Harare Bureau

Dynamos 1-1 Herentals

MATCH officials hogged the limelight as low-key Castle Lager Premiership Harare derby between Dynamos and Herentals ended in a controversial draw at Rufaro yesterday. Far side assistant referee Kudzanai Hiya, who flagged Herentals’ Dreamer Liyeto opener for offside with 27 minutes on the clock, again raised his flag when Donald Dzvinyai appeared to have secured the points for Dynamos.

With DeMbare players sprinting to celebrate and later confront Hiya, Herentals quickly started play and as they were going clear of goal, the Dynamos bench, led by goalkeepers’ coach Britto Gwere rushed into the pitch to curtail the attack.

Apart from the controversy of disallowed goals, the “dirty” match was characterised by crude tackles and every aspect of tension.

After missing an array of chances in the opening half hour, Nomore Chinyerere broke the ice with a fortuitous finish, benefiting largely from poor goalkeeping by Takudzwa Chikosi, who fumbled the tame effort letting it slide in between his legs with 31 minutes played. With the Glamour Boys tiding things up to the break, they had no answers to the Students raids with substitute Milton Chimedza coming to the end of Tino Benza’s cross after 66 minutes.

Dynamos gaffer Genesis Mangombe decried his team’s failure to utilise their opportunities.

“We should try and make sure that we score goals whenever we get chances. I think we got so many chances in the first-half but we failed to score,” said Mangombe.

“Some of these decisions are costing us at the end of the day but I am not a referee.

“If it’s a goal, it’s a goal. Even in their (Herentals) goal, I thought there was an infringement on Jalai (Emmanuel). We scored a clear goal but it was disallowed.”

His Herentals counterpart Paul Benza said he was not qualified to comment about match officiating although Liyeto’s first-half goal appeared to be legitimate. “I don’t qualify to comment about match officials,” said Benza.