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Hwange’s defending was appalling and the midfield was disjointed resulting in them failing to provide close cover for hard-runners Francesco Zvikumbawire and Allan Takarwisa.
Tracking back seemed the team’s biggest undoing as everytime the visitors launched a counter-attack, Hwange were often outnumbered. For most of the afternoon after discovering that the left back was unattended with Munya Mungadze out of sorts, Atbara concentrated their attacks on that flank.
Mungadze lasted just 24 minutes on the pitch taking the blame for the conceded goal in which he was tamely beaten by Adam Saer Adam Mahbob who scored the opener in the seventh minute.
Pressure on him increased with whistling from the terraces getting louder as soon as team manager Tennant Chilumba asked returnee Gerald Ndlovu to warm up.
With Ndlovu standing by the touchline and ready to replace Mungadze, Hwange’s world collapsed when disappointing Malawian referee Moffat Champiti sent him to an early shower for a second bookable offence.
This forced the substitution of diminutive midfielder Nkosana Siwela who was battling against the physically bigger Sudanese. Ndlovu partnered with Eric Chipeta at centreback while David Boriwondo was moved to leftback.
Full of running when going upfront, Boriwondo failed to nurse the leftback problem detected during Mungadze’s stay on the pitch. Time and again the visitors tore through the midfield and played long balls into space on his flank leaving goalkeeper Petros Mhari and the twin centrebacks Ndlovu and Chipeta at the mercy of
Mahbob, Tarek Mukhtar-Saeed and Mohamed Mobarak-Hamza.
What saved the day for Hwange especially in the second half was that the visitors tended to hurry their shots, often skiing them or were over-elaborate in the last third allowing Hwange to recover.
Hwange got their equaliser three minutes before the break through a well executed corner kick by Ocean Mpofu and finished by hardworking captain Ronald Chinyengetere.
The coalminers said despite the draw which was not a good result at home, they were not throwing in the towel.
Mpofu, the Hwange anchorman, said they were still confident of winning in their return leg in Sudan.
“I know we disappointed many today, but we should do better in Sudan, the match is not yet over,” said Mpofu as friends consoled him at Empumalanga hours after the match.
Hwange coach Dube was left to moan his forced substitutions.
“The red card was costly and the Sudanese time-wasting disturbed the flow of the game, but if they scored here we can do the same there. We played three quarters of the game with 10 men, but we played well. We just have to work on our finishing,” said Dube.
Hwange’s other forced substitution was the introduction of Winston Mhango for Tonisani Siwela who was taken to hospital with a leg injury.
But it is overall teamwork that Dube would have to work on with his men. Mpofu lacks pace and needs support. Maybe throwing Boriwondo into midfield would aid the defence and also the attack while Mpofu could also have time to venture forward and try his long range stingers.
There were no clearcut chances created by Hwange and it is this area that they would have to work on in the second leg due in two weeks time. The visitors created more chances including one in which the goalkeeper and two defenders were beaten by a low cross from the right, and to everyone’s surprise Zuhair
Zakaria Elduma shot wide from within a metre of goalmouth.
Champiti, guilty of questionable officiating all afternoon, behaved as if he was a man on a mission to frustrate Hwange. Last week Zifa president Cuthbert Dube complained of the raw deal the country’s teams were subjected to by referees especially those from up north.
The Malawian was just out to frustrate Hwange, blowing the whistle for minor infringements while ignoring Hwange’s appeals including three penalties in handling incidents in the second half as the home side piled on the pressure.
Atbara players took turns to play-act and in the ensuing theatrics which the referee entertained, Hwange lost their rhythm and valuable minutes.
The coalminers should brace for a bruising second leg and poor refereeing could return to haunt them.
Online Reporter