malvernmugadzikwa
Zimpapers Sports Hub
SIMBA BHORA passed their sternest test this season by escaping the home of defending champions Ngezi Platinum Stars with a point in a goalless Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Baobab Stadium yesterday.
Although FC Platinum’s 1-0 win over Highlanders at Mandava Stadium reduced Simba Bhora’s lead at the top to seven points, Tonderai Ndiraya’s men needed to avoid defeat at Ngezi Platinum.
Simba Bhora have 57 points from 28 matches, followed by FC Platinum with 50 points from the same number of matches.
The reigning champions, who have two games in hand, needed all points to keep up with the top two teams, but stay third with 43 points from 26 games.
At Mandava Stadium, Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu cut a frustrated figure after watching his charges lose 1-0 despite a brave second- half performance.
Panashe Mutimbanyoka’s shot on target, which was deflected into goal by Authur Ndlovu on the stroke of halftime, was all the former champions needed to collect the vital three points.
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza was delighted with the victory.
“We are coming from a very difficult phase.
“Not taking anything away from Highlanders, in the second half, they really did well; they had some really good opportunities, but well done to my boys,” he said.
“In terms of managing the game, and game situations, I think we were on top of everything.
“We controlled the tempo of the game, especially in the first half; it gave us a huge hand. If you look at the chances we got as well, it’s so many positives.
“After the last three games, we didn’t manage to get some positive results, but the guys were pushing.
“We were waiting for this moment, and I hope this victory will give us momentum going forward. Everybody is excited. We dedicate this victory to the FC Platinum family.”
Kaindu felt they should have gotten something out of the game.
“I think it was a tight game. They dominated the first half and they managed to get a goal from a deflection,” he said. “In the second half, we started being more offensive. We changed tactics and started playing. With a bit of luck, we could have scored.”
At Rufaro Stadium, Dynamos put together a hearty second-half performance to dispatch Herentals in the absorbing Premiership win yesterday.
The Glamour Boys, limping from their painful exit from the CAF Confederation Cup in Botswana last Sunday, needed a solid mentality to get some local solace.
And that is exactly what they threw into this one, Donald Mudadi scoring a brace, both assisted by substitute Emmanuel Ziocha, to ensure DeMbare’s arithmetic but faint chances remained floating.
Dynamos fans did not come in their usual numbers, perhaps because of doubt in their team’s capacity to dislodge their bogey opponents, but those who came got real value for their effort and money.
It was a second half pregnant with what has been missing in the entire league — flowing passes, exceptional transitional play, good shooting and equally good saves from either side.
It was a game that could as well have ended in a share of the spoils had Herentals been clinical after halving the deficit through Dreamer Liyeto.
But in the end, it was Dynamos who pocketed the maximum points to take their tally to 38 points with two outstanding matches on the leading pack, where pacesetters Simba Bhora have 58 points.
Yet the game started rather slowly and the first half was as uninspiring as it was cold and an average fan might as well have taken a nap and still miss nothing.
Herentals were the better side in that opening phase, Clemence Gobvu getting a good chance inside 10 minutes, but slicing the ball wide.
The Students forwards failed to convert an inviting outside-of-the-box
free-kick by Innocent Benza.
At the other end, Mudadi drove a ferocious shot from the margin of the box, but Nedrick Madeya dived well to save the effort two minutes after the quarter-hour mark.
With both teams paying much of their attention to avoid conceding, the game was confined to the middle of the park, with insignificant action in the opposite third.
Then the game opened up in the second period.
Herentals were supposed to be the ones opening the scoring, but Gobvu rather failed to direct his head down after coming to the end of a perfect Tafadzwa Jim cross, just two minutes after the restart.
Receiving a gliding pass from Emmanuel Jalai with 35 minutes still on the clock, Ziocha coolly trapped it and locked inside before laying a sound cross that Mudadi turned in.
Ziocha provided another cross, which was headed in by Mudadi three minutes before the end.
Herentals got the consolation almost instantly, Liyeto diverting Milton Chimedza’s shot beyond Martin Mapisa to force a nail-biting finale.
“It was a good game of football from the lads and it really put us in a very good space,” said Dynamos coach Lloyd “MaBlanyo” Chigowe.
“It makes us look forward to the next game.
“It’s a good result for us. We should have won it in the first half, but our boys were hurrying a lot of passes. But I am happy we made the right adjustments.”
His Herentals counterpart Paul Benza was naturally disappointed.
At Nyamhunga Stadium, Green Fuel kept their survival hopes alive with a 1-0 win over ZPC Kariba.
At Luveve Stadium, Arenel Movers and Hwange played out a goalless draw, which did not favour either club in the fight for relegation survival.
The home team created more chances, with Zibusiso Dambo, Dalubuhle Dlodlo, Lucky Nyathi and Toto Banda taking turns to fluff chances after some promising build-ups.
On the other end, Hwange’s Dominic Chungwa blew a glorious chance after Arenel defenders played a casual back pass.
After controlling the ball and on sight of goal, Chungwa, whose father Petros was a Wankie defender in the 1980s, made a mess of the glorious opportunity.
Results:
Arenel Movers 0-0 Hwange
FC Platinum 1-0 Highlanders
Herentals 1-2 Dynamos
Ngezi Platinum 0-0 Simba Bhora
ZPC Kariba 0-1 Green Fuel
Online Reporter