Online Reporter
Sports Reporters
THINGS have not been okay for Tonderai Ndiraya in recent weeks but the respected gaffer was relieved yesterday, after Chicken Inn beat FC Hunters 1-0 at Heart Stadium.
Veteran midfielder George Majika scored from the spot in the 64th minute, after Michael Charamba was fouled.
It was the Gamecocks’ second win on the trot after beating Manica Diamonds 2-1 last weekend.
After yesterday’s win at Heart, Chicken Inn moved to 30 points.
“We are targeting the top four now, but it’s going to be difficult.
“We will keep pushing, 11 games to go — that’s a long way,” Ndiraya told the media.
Hunters coach Nesbert Saruchera said they should have done better.
“We didn’t create enough chances,” said Saruchera.
Relegation-threatened FC Hunters remain on 21 points and benefited from results elsewhere.
Manica Diamonds and TelOne, who are fighting relegation, also lost.
“The competition is not easy but we remain positive,” added Saruchera.
Luphahla floors Chiefs
At Luveve, Bulawayo Chiefs’ difficult run of form continued yesterday as they slumped to a second consecutive Castle
Lager Premier Soccer League defeat, losing 1-0 to FC Platinum.
Still reeling from last weekend’s 2-0 loss, Amakhosi Amahle were once again left frustrated as Pure Platinum Play held on to claim a hard-fought victory.
The visitors made a bright start and found the breakthrough in the 13th minute when striker Issaka Gurirab latched onto a well-weighted cross from Garikai Dematsika before calmly slotting the ball past Chiefs goalkeeper Tinotenda Chinovhiringa.
The early strike gave FC Platinum confidence as they dictated the tempo with neat passing and disciplined defending, limiting the hosts to very few meaningful chances before the break.
Chiefs returned from the interval with renewed purpose, pushing numbers forward in search of an equaliser, but in vain.
FC Platinum coach Joel Luphahla said his side had been under pressure after a string of disappointing performances, while Bulawayo Chiefs head coach John Nyikadzino said he was really disappointed by the defeat.
“It’s a huge relief. We have not been playing well. We did not play well but at times it is good not to play well and win a match,” said Luphahla.
John Nyikadzino said: “I am really disappointed because we created chances but failed to take them. At this level, if you don’t score, you get punished. We need to go back and work on our finishing.”
CAPS close in title race
At Sakubva, CAPS United put up a great show to finally arrest a six-match winless streak after condemning Manica Diamonds deep down the relegation zone with a 2-0 win yesterday.
Chawanangwa Kaonga and Chris Mugalu scored either side of the break to take the Green Machine to within 10 points of leaders Scottland, at least for 24 hours, with 11 games remaining.
Makepekepe dictated the rhythm of the game and duly picked the points they thoroughly deserved.
TelOne’s major blow
In Gweru, TelOne suffered a major setback in their fight for survival after losing 1-0 to fellow strugglers ZPC Kariba at Ascot.
This was TelOne’s second defeat in a row after losing 2-0 away to Scottland last week.
ZPC Kariba’s new signing Jerry Tinashe Ruzive struck on the stroke of half-time, what proved to be the decisive goal.
The win gives Kauya Katuruturu some breathing space in the relegation battle and puts some daylight between them and the chasing pack.
They are now in 12th place on the table with 24 points from 23 matches.
In contrast, TelOne missed out on a chance to escape the murky waters on a week that other teams in the relegation matrix suffered defeats.
The Wifi Boys remain in 16th place with 17 points with just under a third of the season to go.
TelOne coach Saul Chaminuka said: “The game looked so easy, how it went so far away from us, I don’t know.”
Mutasa in relief
At Ngoni, MWOS finally remembered how to win with a hard-fought 1-0 first-half victory over Agama.
A Wilson Mensah 20th-minute goal ensured that the Norton-based side bounced back from three consecutive defeats to salvage their dignity.
Coming into yesterday’s clash, MWOS were visibly eager to break the bad streak.
Ngezi edge Herentals
Ngezi Platinum scored late to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Herentals in a tightly contested Castle Lager
Premier Soccer League match.
The encounter, watched by a visiting Eswatini parliamentary committee, produced few clear-cut chances as both sides struggled to break each other down for long periods.
The first half was a cagey affair, with neither side able to assert dominance in the final third, with Herentals having a goal ruled out for offside in the second minute.
With the match seemingly headed for a draw, Ngezi coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva introduced Tinotenda Ditima and Elson Mweha with 15 minutes remaining in a bid to inject fresh energy into the attack.
The tactical switch proved decisive.
Seven minutes from time, Ditima forced goalkeeper Marshal Takarinda into a save, but Mweha reacted quickest to the rebound, smashing the ball into the roof of the net to hand Ngezi all three points.
Mutiwekuziva, a former Herentals coach, said: “I am happy about this result, we have collected six points against
Herentals. “Herentals is not an easy team in the Premiership.
“It’s one of the stubborn teams that you never underestimate because they are always up and they are always there to compete to their best. And collecting maximum points, you sweat for the points, which is positive for us today.”
His opposite Paul Benza felt his charges were hard done after their goal was ruled offside early in the match.
“I think we did very well.
“We managed to score in the second minute but it was turned down.
“We were always coming at them the whole 90 minutes and I am very happy with the boys’ performance,” said Benza.
Bongani Ndlovu