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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
How Mine 1-0 Harare City
TIMOTHY January rose from the bench to score a priceless goal that secured How Mine maximum points and moved them five places up the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League table. How Mine moved from position 13 to eight. January, introduced in the 30th minute for an ineffective Fungai Chirinda, scored on the stroke of half time, connecting with his weaker right foot at the edge of the box.
His volley beat a diving Harare City goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupanedengu. Yesterday’s victory at Luveve Stadium was a relief for the goldminers, especially their coach Kelvin Kaindu. How Mine had gone into yesterday’s game without a win in their last five home games. They last posted a victory at home on May 14 when they beat Caps United 2-1.
In their previous five home games, How Mine drew 0-0 with FC Platinum, lost 0-2 to Highlanders, suffered a 1-2 defeat against Ngezi Platinum Stars, drew 0-0 with Dynamos and 1-1 against Border Strikers. What made the victory against Harare City sweet for Kaindu is the fact that they made a significant rise on the table.
“I think this is one of our biggest wins in the sense that it pushed us up. We laboured to get a goal but I think there are lots of positives in the sense that we’ve improved in the way we defend. “What’s important now is to build from this victory,” Kaindu said.
How Mine could have gone to the break leading by a bigger margin had their strikers Milton Ncube and Tinashe Makanda utilised the very few chances that came their way.
Inside the opening 10 minutes, Ncube broke on the left side, charged into the box coming face-to-face with Nyamupanedengu, but the former Highlanders and Ajax Cape Town player took long to decide what to do and had his shot blocked for a corner by City’s defender Chrispen Dickson.
In the 19th minute, Dickson almost gifted Makanda a goal when the young striker pounced onto the former’s intended header to the goalkeeper but a weak shot by the latter didn’t bother Nyamupanedengu.
City’s centreback Arnold Chiveya was lucky to escape without a yellow card in the 25th minute when he pulled back Ncube who was charging towards goal. Chiveya was the last man in defence but the referee Bonamali Bwanali just awarded How Mine a free kick outside the box which Praise Tonha fluffed. The home team kept pressing and in the 45th minute, January pounced on a loose ball, hitting it with aplomb to give the goldminers a lead.
The second half saw the visitors upping their game and their first chance of the game fell to substitute Jerry Chipangura in the 73rd minute but the attacking linkman failed to beat How Mine’s goalkeeper Donovan Bernard from close range. Three minutes before full time, City’s captain Francesco Zvekumbawire won a free kick at the edge of the box but Edwin Madhanhanga hit straight at the wall.
The visitors were not yet done as they gave How Mine some anxious moments which called for desperate defending towards the end of the match. Qadr Amini had to throw his body to block Zvekumbawire’s effort in the referee’s optional time.
City’s coach Moses Chunga said: “This was one of my worst games since I took over. We seem to be struggling with consistency and have to improve on our urgency going forward. Our execution in the final third wasn’t good. Going forward I think we’ve to work on our mental attitude.”
Teams
How Mine: Donovan Bernard, Praise Topnha, Qadr Amini, Kudzai Chideu, Tapiwa Kumbuyani, Makundika Sakala, Toto Banda, Fungai Chirinda (Timothy January, 30th minute), Tinashe Makanda, Milton Jija Ncube (Kuda Musharu, 56th minute)
Unused substitutes: Munyaradzi Diya, Stephen Nyambabvu, Nefitary Ndale, Thembani Masuku, Adolf Muganyi
Harare City: Maxwell Nyamupanedengu, Takudzwa Chimwemwe, Chrispen Dickson, Dexter Mawere, Arnold Chiveya, Tatenda Tumba (Jerry Chipangura, 54th minute), Benson Maglasi (Grey Kufandada, 69th minute), William Manondo (Edwin Madhanhanga, 59th minute), Martin Vengesai, James Jam, Francesco Zekumbawire
Unused substitutes: Sean Muneka, Tafadzwa Dube
Results
Saturday: Bulawayo City 0-0 Hwange, ZPC Kariba 0-0 Ngezi Platinum Stars, Chicken Inn 0-0 Chapungu, Caps United 0-0 FC Platinum
Yesterday: Triangle United 2-1 Highlanders, How Mine 1-0 Harare City, Border Strikers 2-1 Dynamos, Mutare City Rovers 3-3 Tsholotsho FC — @ZililoR
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