Mutare City frustrate How Mine

Raymond Jaravaza, Sports Correspondent
How Mine ……………………………………………0
Mutare City Rovers ………………………………0
MUTARE City Rovers, a team that completed the entire 90 minutes of regulation time without a single shot on target, squeezed a point out of home side How Mine whose coach Kelvin Kaindu’s woes continue to mount after a nil all draw in a Week 26 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at Luveve Stadium yesterday.

How Mine were bundled out of the Chibuku Super Cup quarter-finals with a 4-3 defeat to Bulawayo giants Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium last weekend.

With his focus firmly on securing a respectable position as the league draws to a climax Kaindu couldn’t have wished for a poor performance from his men against relegation threatened Mutare City.

He knew before kickoff that the visitors were bent on squeezing a draw of out of Bulawayo team yet his men failed to penetrate a Mutare City Rovers team whose game plan seemed centred on parking the bus and hoping for the best.

“We played a team that simply came here to defend, there was no single shot on target from our opponents, and it can be frustrating sometimes to play a team that plays for a draw. You could see from the way they were taking their time to take corner kicks and throw-ins that they were simply playing for a draw,” said Kaindu after the match.

Both teams were guilty of failing to display value for money football for the few fans that paid to watch the match with the only meaningful goal mouth attempt coming from How Mine’s Adolf Muganyi in the 33rd minute with a first time shot connected from a corner kick.

Substitutions from either side dominated the better part of the second half before Tsepo Ranthokoane failed to nick the ball away from Mutare City Rovers goalie Victor Twaliki in a goal mouth melee that the hosts could not capitalise on in the 80th minute.

Six minutes later Ranthokoane came close to snatching three points for How Mine but agonisingly watched his shot inside the box parried for a corner kick by the Mutare City Rovers goalminder.

For visiting coach Takura Shariwa, it was a point gained compared to two points lost.

“It’s good for us to get a point whenever we travel, it was a point gained than two points lost. We have two crucial away matches against Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum and if we can pick up points from those matches then we stand a chance of surviving,” said Shariwa.

Teams
How Mine: M. Diya, T Ranthoakoane, M Ncube, K Chideu, S Nyambabvu (Pasca Manhanga 69 minutes), M Sakala, A Muganyi, G Nguwodzawo (Kudakwashe Musharu 58 minutes), T Banda, T Masuku, T January (Netifary Ndale 77 minutes)

Mutare City Rovers: V Twaliki, C Muzavazi, V Madamombe, E Sinaputa, M Sako, C Ngondonga, B Majamanda (Russell Madamombe 79 minutes), K Gurure, W Sithole, F Muza (Stephen Sibanda 47 minutes), A Murimba (Saprine Muchabaya 63 minutes)