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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
THERE was a goal and an assist by Zimbabwean players in the latest round of the English FA Cup as unheralded Lindokuhle (Lee) Ndlovu and Andy Rinomhota kept their teams in contention in the oldest national football competition in the world.
Ndlovu became the latest Zimbabwean to have his name on the score-sheet in the competition when he rescued National League side Boreham Wood from defeat to English League One football side Accrington in the third round.
The match ended 1-1, thanks to Ndlovu’s 78th minute header.
The teams are now set for a replay next week. Boreham Wood, who play in the fifth tier of the English football system, have propensity for giant-killing acts in this competition and were in the fourth-round draw for the second season running.
But goalscorer Ndlovu admitted the National League side were disappointed not to have beaten their opponents, who play some notches higher than them in the third-tier of English football.
They knocked out Bournemouth and Wimbledon last season en-route to reaching the fifth round for the first time. Ndlovu’s Boreham Wood are the lowest-ranked side left in the FA Cup.
They trailed through Ryan Astley’s early goal at Meadow Park but with 12 minutes remaining, Ndlovu headed in Femi Ilesanmi’s cross to seal a replay at the Wham Stadium.
And Zimbabwean striker Ndlovu (28) admitted they were frustrated not to have put the tie to bed on home soil.
“We feel disappointed that we have not gone and won that game because we had a couple of chances. I have had a couple more chances, but it’s football.
“Last week, the week before, at Barnet we conceded in the 95th minute. Today feels disappointing a little bit because we’ve not won that game. But we’re still in the draw for the fourth round, which is very, very good.”
Accrington face a relegation battle in League One but remain an imperious proposition for Boreham Wood in the replay, sitting 40 places above them in the pyramid.
But Ndlovu believes his side can spring another upset and secure a home tie against Rinomhota’s Championship side Cardiff City or Premier Soccer League outfit Leeds United.
“We go into every game thinking we’re going to win,” said Ndlovu.
“As long as we impose ourselves and stick to the game plan, we believe we’ll win any game.”
Many other Zimbabwean players plying their trade in the United Kingdom were also involved in the latest round of the FA Cup.
Warriors striker Admiral Muskwe featured for 82 minutes in Fleetwood’s 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers.
Defender Jordan Zemura played the first half of Bournemouth’s 2-4 disappointing defeat to Burnley while Tendayi Darikwa made a last minute cameo in Wigan Athletic’s 1-1 draw with Luton Town. But the Bulawayo-born Ndlovu, who is virtually an unknown quantity in football, was probably the toast of the weekend with his first FA Cup goal.
He joined a host of other Zimbabweans that have scored in the FA Cup. Zimbabwe’s legendary forward Peter Ndlovu scored two FA Cup goals during his 13-year-old career in England.
Both goals were scored in the colours of Sheffield United. He was on target in the 1-2 defeat to Preston North End in a fourth round match played in January 2002.
Peter Ndlovu was involved in the scoring again in the 2-0 win over Walsall at Bramall Lane in the fifth round of the FA Cup in February 2003.
Peter Ndlovu played six FA Cup games for Sheffield Wednesday, two for Birmingham City and one for Coventry City.
The other Zimbabwean players that have scored a goal each include Benjani Mwaruwari who played the FA Cup with Manchester City and scored once in two appearances.
He grabbed a 67th minute winner in the 1-0 win over hosts Middlesbrough at Riverside Stadium in a third round match in 2010.
Defender Darikwa scored his only FA Cup goal in 2013 in the fourth minute of Chesterfield’s 1-3 defeat to Southend in the second round of the competition.
Midfielder Rinomhota scored against his current club when he was still at Reading in 2020. Muskwe was the last Zimbabwean to have his name on the FA Cup score-sheets when he scored for Luton Town in the 3-0 drubbing of Cambridge last year.
Bradley Pritchard probably had the fastest goal in the FA Cup during his days at Charlton Athletic after finding the back of the nets in the second minute of their 4-0 win over Halifax in the first round competition of the 2011/12 season.
But Macauley Bonne has scored the most FA Cup goals by any Zimbabwean with five strikes to his credit. Bonne scored four in one game for Colchester United when they thrashed Wealdstone 6-2 in 2015. He had opened his account the previous season against Sheffield United.
The Zimbabwean players shone again at the weekend as Rinomhota scooped the Man of the Match award in the match between Cardiff City and Leeds United. Rinomhota had an assist when the Championship side held the English Premiership outfit to a 2-2 draw and forced a third round replay. Cardiff City led 2-0 at half-time but they suffered a last-minute heartbreak. Having netted the opener through Jaden Philogene, the Bluebirds found a second goal just seven minutes later, as Rinomhota set Sheyi Ojo free with a brilliant ball in-behind, allowing the latter to finish and double City’s lead. But Leeds pulled a goal back in the 65th minute through substitute Rodrigo. Fellow substitute Perkins was on-hand to net from close-range to equalise and book a replay at Elland Road.
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