adminBEAVAN Chikaka scored on his Bulawayo debut for Zimbabwe Saints in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Luveve Stadium yesterday.
Chikaka was a villain turned hero after his 56th minute goal.
He had earlier on missed a penalty awarded in the 48th minute after Danger Fourpence appeared to have handled the ball while under pressure from Abraham Mbayiwa.
Saints could have won by a wider margin had their strikers been precise in front of goal.
But coach Willard Mashinkila Khumalo was happy with that they are creating chances.
“I am happy that we are creating chances. We missed a lot, we have to keep on looking for positive results, its too early to talk about the championship,” said Khumalo.
They were the better of the two sides with Kiglon not making much of an impression after the centre line despite a good passing game.
Saints were the first to take the initiative with Vorster Chitemu missing the upright as early as the first minute from a dead ball situation. Two minutes later Yves Ebabali scooped his effort over the bar.
Kiglon goalkeeper Stephen Chimusoro fumbled a cross from the right putting Chikaka on the offensive with a dropped catch. With a yawning goal in front of him, Chikaka a former national team trialist, shot tamely at goal allowing a Kiglon defender to clear the effort. Saints’ star performer on the offensive, Ntokozo Tshuma, had an effort from a good position in the box, going over the bar on 18 minutes.
In the 30th minute stocky former Dynamos defender Tafadzwa Maingire came to the end of a neat one-two move on the right to sky his effort from about 25 metres out.
Three minutes later Chikaka forced a good save off Chimusoro from close range.
Castro Ndebele sat up Tshuma in the 43rd minute and the former Hwange midfielder’s rasping shot grazed the bar leaving Kiglon gasping for breath as they were under siege.
Saints had an opportunity to go one up in the 48th minute.
A shot from Phiri on the left was punched back into play and as Abraham Mbayiwa threatened to pull the trigger, under pressure Fourpence handled in the box leaving impressive referee Happy Mabhena with no option but to point to the spot.
Upstepped disappointing Chikaka to shot weakly to the goalkeeper’s left who dived low to push the ball out for a corner.
Kiglon wasted a glorious opportunity in the 56th minute when presented with an early Easter gift by central defender Chipo Tsodzo.
William Manondo, a hero seven days earlier when he scored against Dynamos, latched to a short back pass intended for Fibion Shonhayi in goal for Saints, with the stocky defender in hot pursuit and the goalkeeper off his line, Manondo sent his dipping shot well over the bar.
Chikaka who was about to attract boos from the fans soon ejected them off their seats with a blistering shot from inside the box to beat a diving Chimusoro in the 56th minute to seal the visitors’ fate.
In the 61st minute Tshuma won possession in his own half, kept the ball as he surged forward before releasing Chikaka with a defence splitting pass which the former FC Victoria striker failed to make justice to, shooting weakly to the near post.
On 65 minutes Mbayiwa headed wide off a Phiri corner.
With eight minutes to go, Chikaka was released on the left side of the box and his bid to draw the ball beyond the reach of Chimusoro to the far post failed as the goalkeeper caught the ball clean.
Teams
Zimbabwe Saints: F Shonhayi, P Sithole, V Chitemu, D Phiri, C Tsodzo, G Phiri, T Maingire, N Tshuma (N Murisa 78th minute), C Ndebele (H Ncube 65th minute), B Chikaka, A Mbayiwa (I Pitamuja 78th minute)
Kiglon: S Chimusoro, D Fourpence, W Nyamutsaka, W Chingodza, B gumbo, C Mukanhairi, C Whitby, W Manondo, J Matselele (L Chibwiro 63rd minute), P Kaunda (C Mashumba 78th minute), Y Ebabali (M Machazane 63rd minute).
Online Reporter