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Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
Yadah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0
Ngezi Platinum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(1)1
NGEZI Platinum Stars returned back on top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League standings following this narrow win over plucky Yadah at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
Nigel Makumbe’s first half strike made all the difference.
The Mhondoro team needed to win this match to reclaim top spot after Highlanders and FC Platinum had overtaken them on Sunday evening, having played earlier in the weekend.
But Takesure Chiragwi’s men showed just how ready they were to bag the maximum points and reclaim control of the race with unrelenting attacking football in the opening moments. With Yadah, who have been in scintillating form of late, still trying to get their footing in the match, the visitors bombarded their goal area with sustained force in the opening 10 minutes.
And 12 minutes into the game, live-wire winger Walter Vuwa found space on the right channel and sprinted towards the byline, beating the Yadah defence on pace.
With Yadah defenders crammed on the goal line, Vuwa squared the ball to Makumbe who slotted it home for what proved to be the winner. Both teams were in the game to play football and they created several scoring chances with the goalkeepers proving to be the heroes in a way.
But at the end, it was Ngezi Platinum Stars who climbed back on top of the table after taking their tally to 23 points, a point above second placed Highlanders while Yadah remain eighth with 14 points to their name.
The visitors were always threatening especially with the powerful runs of centre forward Tinotenda Murasiranwa.
But the latter should have scored at least once after he came face to face with Yadah goalkeeper Panashe Nyabunga twice.
On both occasions, Nyabunga came out tops. It was Nelson Chadya, on the opposite goal though, who showed solid brilliance especially in the second half when Yadah came all out in search of an equaliser.
Vincent Sango and Mandlenkosi Mlilo all had their close range shots saved by Chadya in the second half.
Mlilo, with a bit of precision could have scored but saw his freekick hitting the crossbar with Chadya a beaten man. Ngezi Platinum Stars coach Chiragwi said the match was tough but the early goal helped their cause.
“We know Yadah play good football and we needed an early goal. In the second half, Yadah came all out in attack and we had to be cautious. Sometimes you need to play ugly to win the game and that is what we did,” said Chiragwi.
“We are very happy because we managed to collect the points”. His opposite number Expense Chitukutuku was impressed with his boys although they failed to win the match.
Teams:
Yadah: Panashe Nyabunga, Brian Kadamanja, Tawanda Musariri, Clive Mandivei, Junior Zindoga, Vincent Sango, Charles Moffat (King Nadolo 57min), Mandlenkosi Mlilo, Emmanuel Saidi, Blessed Ndereki (Lenox Muchetu 74min) Wellington Kamudyariwa
Ngezi Platinum: Nelson Chadya, Polite Moyo, Kudai Chigwida, Gareth Madhake, Leslie Kashitigu (Marlon Mushonga 74min), Farai Madhanaga, Tapiwa Mandinyenya (Malvin Kwinjo 60min), Nigel Makumbe (Valentine Kadonzvo 60min), Walter Vuwa (Qadr Amini 71min), Tinotenda Murasiranwa, Takunda Benhura
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