admin60th minute goal to thank for saving face after Chipangano and Black Mambas conspired to treat fans to some atrocious football in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League at the Colliery yesteday.
The dull game left the fans feeling hugely short-changed.
Chipangano’s prodigal son pounced on a long ball from the midfield, which eluded the Warumwa Warumwa defence to leave the pint sized midfielder with an easy chance to slot home past an impressive Learnmore Jere in goals for the visitors.
Save for the seventh minute heroic save by Jere, when he denied big Fransesco Zekumbawere from close range with an acrobatic save, the teams’ performance especially in the first half could have been challenged by one of the coal mining town’s numerous boozers outfit.
No passes could be strung around by both teams to leave fans wondering whether they could have spent their Sunday cooling themselves in swimming pools given the simmering heat in Hwange town.
Chipangano were the first to get out of their blankets in the second half in the 51st minute when Kennedy Kashema connected a long free kick by defender Tonisani Sibelo only to see his header crash against the crossbar with Jere beaten.
The match went back into freezing mode until Longwe’s goal which later turned to be the only tonic for a forgettable afternoon for football fans.
The visitors, however, had two realistic chances in the last quarter of the game but substitute John Zhuwawo squandered the first in the 75th minute with a free header which flew off the mark, while
Peter Kachirika watched in disbelief five minutes from the end when his grounder crashed against the left upright with goalkeeper Petros Mhari diving in vain.
In might have been bad afternoon for the home side but new boy Simbarashe Manwere, brought in for Nkosana Siwela in 65th minute, showed some flashes of brilliance and could turn out to be a
lethal weapon for the coal miners in games to come.
The visitors ended the match with 10 players after defender Emmanuel Sibanda was shown a red card by referee Bekezela Makeka for dissent after he had earlier been given a yellow card for a foul on Longwe.
TEAMS:
Hwange
P Mhari; T Sibelo; M Mungadze; G Ndhlovu; A Katebe; O Moyo; N Siwela (S Manwere 66th minute);K Kashema; M Longwe; G Zulu; F Zekumbawere.
Black Mambas
L Jere; C Kasimero; L Kaisa; P Muswere; E Sibanda; A Amidu; B Chirumanzi; P Kachirika; I Nyoni; T Magaisa (J Zhuwawo70th minute); S Mutizirwa.
Online Reporter