Online Reporter
Onward Gangata in KWEKWE
Hardrock ……………………………………………….0
Scottland ………………………………………………0
THERE were no goals as the Chahwanda Stadium, the most beautiful football facility in the country, opened its gates for the first time but there was a lot to admire about the facility and the football on display.
By the time Hardrock and Scottland walked onto the immaculate turf at the new stadium, the roads leading to the stadium were already clogged with traffic.
The stands had also been filled with supporters eager to witness a day many in this mining town had waited nearly two decades for.
The match ended goalless but that hardly diluted the significance of the occasion as Hardrock marked their arrival in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League by holding the defending champions.
For long stretches of the afternoon the noise inside the stadium rolled around the bowl of the new arena, supporters rising to every forward run and every tackle as if determined to make sure the return of top-flight football to Kwekwe would be heard far beyond the city limits.
Even former Zimbabwe captain Peter Ndlovu paused for a moment, just before kick-off to admire the beautiful stadium.
“This is an excellent stadium and it is good that we are now seeing facilities of this standard in our football,” said the Scottland team manager.
“I honestly wish I was still playing.”
Once the match settled into its rhythm, the champions gradually began to control more of the ball, particularly in the second half where Moses Shidolo and Panashe Mutimbanyoka stretched the hosts down the flanks.
Knowledge Musona kept drifting across the attacking third with the composure that has long marked his game, dropping deep to collect possession and then lifting passes into dangerous areas.
The closest the afternoon came to producing a goal arrived midway through the second half.
Musona slipped a delicate pass between two defenders and for a split second the Hardrock defence opened, allowing Mutimbanyoka to run onto the ball with the goal in front of him.
However, his shot drifted wide and the roar that had begun behind the goal dissolved into a groan.
Hardrock coach Kelvin Kaindu chose the positives.
“They are the champions and they are coming from beating Dynamos five nil recently,” Kaindu said afterwards.
“Of course we would have loved to give our supporters a victory today, but taking a point against a team of that quality is a good start for us.
“This is a new side and there is still work to do.
“What pleased me is that the organisation we have been working on in training showed itself today, though we still need to improve our transitions when we move forward.”
