Tawachera believes in his boys

Fungai Muderere, [email protected]. zw

AFTER watching his Arenel Movers charges grind a nil-all draw against defending league champions Ngezi Platinum at Luveve Stadium on Saturday, head coach Farai Tawachera expressed his delight.

The 0-0 draw surprised all and sundry in the opening fixtures as Ngezi Platinum Stars were highly tipped to get the better of the sweets boys.

“It’s a good start for us and I’m happy for the boys, for a point that we gained at a time when we were playing against the defending champions.

However, we need to work extra hard and continue to compete with other teams,” said Tawachera, a former Tsholotsho FC, Bulawayo City and Chicken Inn coach.

It was an away draw for Ngezi Platinum Stars and their head coach Takesure Chiragwi tried to downplay it by saying: “It’s pleasing to pick up a point against the newcomers. We were in control of the game but we somehow lost it along the way but ultimately managed to pick up a point against our opponents. Overall, it was not an easy match,” said Chiragwi.

The new boys got off to a good start and there is no doubt that the whole team, from the players to the coaches, will be happy after holding off the champions.

The stalemate was testimony that there are no “small boys” in the top-tier league.

For anyone watching the match, it was evident that Arenel Movers players had one thing in mind and that was to pour their hearts into the game to post a respectable result against the highly fancied defending champions.

From the onset of the match, the action was centred in the middle of the park, as players from both sides were sizing each other’s strength on the foot, making calculated passes as well as trying to read and pounce on the opponent’s weaknesses.

The occasional attack towards the goal was far in between during the opening minutes of the game.

Ngezi Platinum could have scored 30 minutes into the first-half but Arenel’s goalkeeper Aaron Ngwenya became a stumbling block to a shot from the champions’ attacker in the box to make sure his side remained safe.

Arenel Movers proved that despite being the underdogs, they were not to be outdone on their first dance on home ground as on one occasion, left-winger Crispen Machisi ran well to win possession, extended his hold on the ball and unleashed a volley but his effort fell short of the goal target.

Ngezi Platinum were equally good at defending Arenel raids and by the 40-minute mark it was clear that the new boys in the Premiership had got hold of the champions and all that was left was to continue the fight into the second-half.

In the second-half, probably feeling the frustration of playing second fiddle to the new boys, the visitors came in with long passes and aerial raids to escape the midfield but were met with an attentive Arenel defence that was equal to the task.

Both sides’ goalkeepers had a less busy day at work going deeper into the second-half. Credit will certainly go to Arenel Movers camp for exhibiting unity and attention to detail throughout the game.

For Mhondoro-based Ngezi Platinum Stars, they will go back home with a hard lesson that they still have a lot of work to do if they are to defend their title. —@FungaiMuderere