Online Reporter
Innocent Muchochomi in MHONDORO
Ngezi Platinum Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 2
ZPC Kariba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
NGEZI Platinum Stars needed a late finish from Marvellous Mukumba to protect their unbeaten start, edging ZPC Kariba in a match that looked set to slip away at Baobab yesterday.
Mukumba was fastest off the blocks in the closing minutes, turning in a rebound inside the box to break stubborn resistance from the electricity men and settle a contest that had grown tense for the hosts.
Ngezi had started with intent.
Tinotenda Murasiranwa powered in a header inside eight minutes, but the lead lasted only four minutes as Kelvin Gwao struck back for ZPC Kariba.
That quick exchange opened up the game early, both sides willing to go forward without either managing to settle into control before the break.
The key moment came in the 37th minute when ZPC Kariba were reduced to ten men after Kuzivakwashe Madima was sent off for a reckless challenge on Brooklyn Katumba.
It shifted the balance, but not in a straightforward way.
ZPC Kariba retreated after the restart, compact and disciplined, slowing the tempo and forcing Ngezi to search for openings. The hosts pushed numbers forward but struggled to turn possession into clear chances, with the visitors holding firm for long periods.
Coach Newman Mashipe felt the dismissal changed everything.
“We were going pound for pound but once we became a man short, it turned the game in their favour,” he said.
Ngezi coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziwa pointed to patience as the difference.
“The boys kept pushing against a solid defence. They came back in the second half looking to settle for a draw but we stayed patient and got the goal in the end,” he said.
Mukumba’s late strike, his third of the season, ensured Ngezi kept their run intact even on a day when fluency was hard to find.
They did not dominate throughout, but they found a way through when it mattered. It is quickly becoming part of their identity.
Peter Tanyanyiwa