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The match looked headed for the penalty shootouts but the youthful Gunners team capitalised on Chicken Inn’s defensive blunders and dumped the Bulawayo outfit out of the country’s richest tournament.
Lawe’s goal sparked wild celebrations from a few Gunners supporters led by their owner Cuthbert Chitima who saw their team come from behind to win 3-2.
Gunners were on top of their game with Chicken Inn coming in second to the ball for the better part of the match. Chando Kupisa took an early lead courtesy of a Valentine Ndaba header in the third minute. Munyaradzi Chiwara dribbled past Brian Mbiriri on the right side before sending a cross which
Chicken Inn’s veteran defender Herbert Dick made no attempt to clear leaving Ndaba to head the ball past an exposed goalkeeper Njabulo Nyoni.
Evans Chikwaikwai equalised for Chicken Inn in the 27th minute after capitalising from a goalkeeping error by Clayton Dombo who fumbled on a Tendai Mukambi high ball under the challenge of man-of-the-match Sydney Linyama.
The goal was hotly disputed by Gunners’ players as they believed there was an infringement on their goalkeeper. Moses Chunga, their coach intervened and play resumed after a few minutes’ stoppage.
Four minutes after the break, defender Moses Jackson gave Chicken Inn the lead when he headed a Makhosi Ncube cross. It was Jackson’s first goal since joining Chicken Inn from Hardbody at the beginning of the season.
Ten minutes later, Tapiwa Dephistara cancelled Chicken Inn’s lead and again, the fastfoods outlet- sponsored club’s defenders failed to clear a cross from Wesley Matute leaving Dephistara to ghost from the blind side and score.
The sucker punch came in injury-time after Chiwara broke loose on the right side of midfield before sending a cross which Dick failed to clear leaving Lawe to coolly head in the winner.
Gunners’ coach Chunga was happy with the result. “We have taken a step further and we are going to continue working hard. I think their first goal destabilised my young boys and we had to refocus at half time and come back stronger,” said Chunga.
Gunners’ youngsters had a field day as they won most midfield tussles where Linyama fought a lone battle for the Bulawayo club and Chicken Inn failed to read that the Harare club was using wingers to attack.
Chicken Inn’s wingbacks Mbiriri and Jackson looked jittery with their midfielders Thabani Goredema and Canaan Nkomo chasing shadows, while Dick was out.
“We were always second to the ball in midfield and that put us under pressure. Our defenders also failed to deal with the crosses and I must say it’s disappointing to lose to schoolboys,” said Julius Ndlovu, Chicken Inn’s goalkeepers’ coach.
Teams
Chicken Inn: N Nyoni, M Jackson, B Mbiriri, F Chindungwe, H Dick, T Goredema, C Nkomo (K Mahachi 61st minute), T Mukambi (L Mpofu 50th minute), M Ncube (T Ndoro 70th minute), S Linyama, E Chikwaikwai.
Gunners: C Dombo, P Chinungwa, W Kamudyariwo, M Muchenje, I Lawe, V Ndaba (W Gondo, 54th minute), B Sande, T Dephistara, O Machingura, M Chiwara.
Online Reporter