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YADAH Stars turned on the style as they hammered Gutu 5-1 to make a big impression in their first game in the ZIFA Northern Region Division One League on Saturday. The newboys from the capital, who only secured their place in Division One just a week before their first game, were in terrific form as they produced a vintage second half show to power to a victory that sent shock waves in the league.
Coach Kuda Masaraure’s men might have taken time to settle in their first competitive game but, once they got into their groove, they were virtually unstoppable as they delighted a huge partisan home crowd at their Waterfalls’ home.
With veteran Brian Mapfumo giving the club the solidity, direction and inspiration they needed in defence and midfield, Yadah Stars found their range in the second half with a show that was rich in attacking quality as they crushed their opponents on the lush green fields of their stadium in Prospect.
“It’s the first game and we have to take it one game at a time,” said Masaraure.
“There is still a lot of work that needs to be done and we have to keep working hard but once the boys settled I think they played very well and the result was what we deserved.
“ It’s not every day that a team marks its entrance in a tough league like Division One with such a big winning margin but we have to keep our feet on the ground because we know that there are tougher games that we will play.
“But I am happy for the boys and the supporters who came in their numbers and believed that we could get the victory they wanted.”
Yadah Stars are owned by Prophet Walter Magaya, whose passion for football has seen him invest heavily in the game, including constructing a stadium — whose beautiful surface compares favourably with the best stadiums in the country — at his base in Waterfalls’ Prospect area.
Magaya, who featured in the last competitive league game played at the stadium, when Yadah Gunners took on Lake Harvest, was not part of the playing staff as his team began life in the Eastern Region Division One Soccer League.
Instead, the football-mad prophet, who trains with his players, watched from a distance as his men tore apart Gutu with an impressive attacking display, especially in the second half, and powered to a deserved victory.
“We have some very good players in the team, young boys whom I feel will make a big impact in Zimbabwe football in the future,” Magaya told The Herald.
“We have invested a lot in the youths and our outstanding player today is a Form 4 boy and we believe in them .”
Online Reporter