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Paul Mundandi in ZVISHAVANE
Shabanie Mine . . . . . .(0) 1
Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . (1) 1SHABANIE Mine coach John Phiri said it was the first time, in his long association with football, to see a team playing without training all week and believes his charges were lucky to get a point at Maglas yesterday.
The hosts maintained their unbeaten home record when they came from behind to salvage a point in their duel against a Chicken Inn side that dominated this Castle Lager Premiership at Maglas.
A 22nd minute goal from Mkhokheli Dube had given the visitors the advantage but Daniel Chakupe equalised in the 78th minute.
The visitors won a free-kick in the Shabanie Mine half on the right and John Bernard curled in a beauty that Dube headed past goalkeeper London Zulu.
The Shabanie defence must shoulder the blame for the goal as they showed no life and urgency following their industrial action last week.
Chicken Inn dominated proceedings as they congested their midfield with Clemence Matawu, Thabani Goredema, Bhekimpilo Ncube and Brian Juru combining well.
They were always first on the ball and full of energy and were dealt a major blow when Goredema was injured in the 39th minute.
The asbestos miners took charge of the proceedings in the second half after the substitution of Hardlife Mavundi and Carlos Messi who struggled with their game.
The decision by coach Phiri to move Nelson Merson to the midfield also paid dividends as the hosts soon found the equaliser.
Shabanie Mine rightback Godknows Murwira exchanged passes with Douglas Sibanda and overlapped on the right before sending an inch-perfect pass into the box that saw Chakupe unleashing a scorcher that the visitors’ goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze could not stop.
Ashley Mukwena, Sibanda, Zvenyika Makonese, Smart Muchabaiwa, Chakupe and goalkeeper Zulu were the only players from the miners who showed the zeal to fight.
“I was not so sure whether my players wanted to play or not and the truth is we did not deserve the draw.”
Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas was happy to pick a point on the road.
“It’s hard to pick a point at Maglas because Zvishavane is a very difficult place to play at. Shabanie came back stronger in the last 30 minutes and the injury to Thabani (Goredema) was a blow to us,” said Antipas.
Teams
Shabanie Mine: L. Zulu, G. Murwira, N. Meson, S. Muchabaiwa, Z. Makonese, D. Sibanda, H. Mavundi (W. Ngonya, 70th minute), Z. Bizeki, C. Messi (X. Ncube, 52nd minute), D. Chikupe, A. Mukwena
Chicken Inn: E. Chipezeze, M, Jackson, B. Mbiriri, J. Bernard, L. Mhlanga, B. Juru, T. Goredema (C. Kamhapa, 39th minute), C. Matawu (T. Banda, 81st minute), B. Ncube (C. Nkomo, 65th minute), M. Dube, T. Chimenya
Online Reporter