Online Reporter
Onward Gangata and Oscar Rusenga
KWEKWE finally welcomed top-flight football back yesterday afternoon, and the entire town seemed determined not to miss a moment of it.
By the time Hardrock and Scottland walked onto the immaculate turf at the new Chahwanda Stadium, the roads leading into the ground were already clogged with traffic and the stands had filled with supporters eager to witness a day many in this mining town had waited for nearly two decades.
The match itself ended goalless, but that hardly diluted the significance of the occasion as Hardrock marked their long-awaited arrival in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League against 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 and Scottland team manager Peter Ndlovu paused for a moment before kick-off to admire the facility spread out before him.
“This is an excellent stadium and it is good that we are now seeing facilities of this standard in our football,” said the former Coventry City striker. “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 when Moses Shidolo and Panashe Mutimbanyoka started to stretch Hardrock down the flanks and probe for openings.
Knowledge Musona drifted 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 with a touch that repeatedly drew murmurs of appreciation from the stands.
Hardrock coach Kelvin Kaindu had little reason to complain after watching his side stand firm against the league title holders.
“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.”
Meanwhile, at Gibbo Simba Bhora walked away with three points against Manica Diamonds.
However, it was a match affected by the rains. Large patches of the pitch were soft underfoot, and every pass seemed to hesitate before reaching its target, turning what might have been a lively season opener into a long, stubborn contest where neither side could properly settle into their football.
Manica Diamonds looked comfortable enough with that kind of afternoon. They defended patiently, cleared their lines when they had to and gradually began to believe a point was within reach.
Then, just as the match drifted toward its final moments, the game produced the one clean piece of attacking play it had been missing.
Never Tigere burst down the right flank and lifted a cross into the area where Carlos Mukumbira rose above the defenders and powered a header beyond Geoffrey Chitsumba to hand Simba Bhora a late 1-0 victory in their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League opener yesterday.
Simba Bhora coach Mandla Mpofu admitted the pitch forced his side to adjust.
“Getting maximum points away from home is always important and I am happy because it is something we spoke about before the game,” Mpofu said.
“We know at home we are strong, but if you want to compete you must also collect points away.”
Manica Diamonds coach Tafadzwa Mashiri was left frustrated at full time.
“It is painful because we believed we had managed the game well enough to get at least a point,” Mashiri said.
“But in added time we lost concentration and that is where the goal came from. The pitch made it difficult for both teams to build rhythm with the ball, but we cannot complain because both teams played under the same conditions.”
