admin
Oscar Rusenga Sports Reporter
Triangle FC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)1
Yadah Stars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)0
NEW Triangle coach Thomas Ruzive started life at Triangle on a positive note with victory against Yadah Gunners in a Castle Lager Premiership football match at Gibbo yesterday.
“It’s a positive start for me here at Triangle. I am very happy with the result. You can see for yourself, the team is there with a lot of potential but we need to be more clinical in front of goal.
“We need to work more on our finishing and improve our conversion rate. I am particularly happy that we can create the opportunities and it’s now our homework to to better next time,” Ruzive said after the match.
A solitary goal by Gerald Bhero early in the second half was enough to hand Triangle maximum points in their first game without Jairos Tapera who resigned moment after their defeat against CAPS United last weekend.
Tapera, who joined Manica Diamonds together with his entire technical staff, could not sit on the bench in his team’s 3-0 drubbing at Kariba since he was denied clearance after breach of contract at Triangle.
His absence did not do much damage to the squad as Courage Denias and Edmund Chimhini, who is now assistant coach and goalkeepers coach respectively, took the team through their paces before Ruzive joined them on Friday.
Triangle started the match on the front foot. Captain Donald Ngoma, who recovered from Covid-19 to retain the starting berth, could have scored in the opening five minutes but he skied his effort after being set up by Arnold Chivheya inside the penalty box.
Emmaculate Mawuna had his first time effort saved by Yadah goalie Richard Chiminga after a perfect cross from Bhero in the 12th minute. Yadah were again caught on the break, but the home side could not punish the visitors as Bhero passed responsibility to Ngoma when he was clear on goal.
Yadah managed to recover and Kabanda’s shot was saved by Chiminga who was busier in the opening half.
Yadah midfielder Kibaki Dhlamini had a chance to score after a mistake on the left by Chivheya but his effort was blocked by an alert Triangle goalkeeper Geoffrey Chitsumba in the 38th minute.
The home team were unlucky not to take the lead as Tinotenda Mutyambizi’s overhead kick came off the crossbar following a long throw in by Chiveya in the 49th minute.
The goal, however, came four minutes later with Mutyambizi setting Bhero for the only goal of the match. It was a beautiful team goal involving Ngoma, Mawuna and Karembo with some slick passing football.
Yadah midfielder Albert Manenji, who was the best player for the visitors, was industrious but couldn’t produce the magic as the visitors struggled in soaring Lowveld temperatures.
Yadah enjoyed their passing game on the Gibbo turf as Masvingo-based referee Jimmy Makwanda, who handled the game well, allowed the match to flow without a lot of stoppages.
Kudakwashe Mangami had his snapshot swallowed into Chitsumba’s gloves as Yadah kept searching for an equaliser in the 70th minute.
Ngoma was wasteful in front of goals and his conversion rate of zero percent was worrisome as he missed several clear cut chances. He could have ended the match as a contest three minutes from time but fluffed his chance after a brilliant pass by man of the match Mawuna who covered almost every blade of the grass.
Yadah coach Genesis Mangombe was not happy with his charges but is optimistic on his next assignment.
“Our performance was below par, of course, we created few chances of which we were not clinical. We are now focusing on our next assignment against Craneborne Bullets at home and we need to forget about this game, regroup and move forward.”
Teams
Triangle: G.Chitsumba, J.Mukombwe, A.Chivheya, T.Chisi, K.Gwao, T.Kabanda, T.Karembo, T.Mutyambizi (S.Verenga 77th min), G.Bhero, E.Mawuna, D.Ngoma
Yadah Stars: R.Chiminga, B.Kadamanja, K.Mangami, M.Faranando, P.Kafelapanjila (G. Mangani 55th min), C.Mandivei, B.Ndereki, K.Dhlamini (I.Masiwa 55th min), L.Chome, T.Shandirwa (C. Moffat 64th min), A.Manenji
Online Reporter