News (4)
HIGHLANDERS . . . . . . (1)2
DYNAMOS . . . . . . . . . . . (0)1
HIGHLANDERS began their 2024 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League campaign with victory over perennial nemesis Dynamos in a drab match at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
Hordes of fans thronged BF to witness the match and might have left disappointed by the lacklustre outing, but were excited with three points at the expense of Bosso’s biggest rivals in the league.
An impressive Melikhaya Ncube opened the account for Highlanders in the 20th minute with a beautiful curler outside the penalty box after twisting and turning the Dynamos defenders as Bosso pressurised the visitors from the left wing.
Archford Faira got the second goal for Highlanders in the 48th minute, rolling the ball past goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa after capitalising from a clumsy clearance by Dynamos off a cross from the right.
Alexander Mandinyenya reduced the arrears for The Glamour Boys on the hour mark. He received a long pass, account for suspect Highlanders right-back Marvelous Chigumira and made light work of goalkeeper Sibanda who had come off his line.
Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu was happy with the win.
“It was not an easy game, but the positive is that we managed to start with a victory; a slight improvement in us scoring. We managed to score two goals today. It is just unfortunate that in the first half we played too much in our own half but the good thing is that the tactical disciple, the shape and the organisation was good,” Kaindu said.
Issa Sadiki came in with a free-kick in the 31st minute which was safely collected by Highlanders goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda, who was virtually on holiday for the first half as Dynamos were found wanting on the offensive
However, the dying moments of the first half and going into the second belonged to Dynamos but they were thwarted by the veteran Sibanda.
Three minutes before the break, Reason Sibanda deftly turned in the penalty area and fired a shot, but his effort found an alert Tafiremutsa.
In the 57th minute, Faira came short of getting a brace as his speculative effort eluded Tafiremutsa, but hit the cross bar before the ball was cleared to safety.
After their goal, Dynamos continued their attack on the left wing where Chigumira was jittery and made schoolboy blunders on several occasions.
The second half belonged to DeMbare, but the much-desired goals would not come.
Dynamos coach Genesis Mangombe conceded defeat but said his team had conceded silly goals.
“We failed to maintain our lines and conceded such silly goals. We still have a problem when we can’t defend those goals because we are giving away [points]. But it’s a game of football, you make mistakes that you have to correct and move forward. We are now looking at the next assignment. This one is water under the bridge and it’s a learning curve. We tried to introduce new players. The good thing is that we are not playing badly. We are playing well, save for those silly goals [we conceded],” Mangombe said.
Teams
Highlanders: Sibanda, M Chigumira, A Faira, A Mbeba, P Muduhwa, M Ncube, B Ncube, R Sibanda, L Chikuwa (C Chigonero 66'), Mason Mushore (M Sibanda 85'), Mckinnon Mushore (G Nyathi 66')
Dynamos: P Tafiremutsa, T Chiwunga, D Dzvinyai, D Mudadi (S Nyahwa 61') K Moyo, N Chinyerere, E Jalai, V Kadonzvo (K Madera 33') F Botchway (E Paga 61'), Issa Sadiki (E Chikona 61'), A Mandinyenya (S Iri-Khob 80')
Source: Newsday
Dynamos 2-2 Hwange
DYNAMOS fans have called for the departure of coach Genesis Mangombe after they surrendered a two-goal lead to share the spoils with Hwange at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo on Saturday.
DeMbare fans could not hide their frustration as they sang “Kaka Ngaende” at the end of the match. Mangombe is popularly referred to as Kaka. After the stalemate the fans made their feelings on the coach clear.
They want him gone.
Dynamos lost their opening match against Highlanders last weekend 2-1 before yesterday’s two all draw against Hwange. Prior to that, they had lost 2-0 to Ngezi Platinum Stars in the Castle Challenge Cup.
If anything, Mangombe needed to win the game against Hwange to pacify the DeMbare faithful.
But that was not to be.
DeMbare took the lead through Donald Mudadi in the 28th minute with a well-taken strike from just outside the arch. Emmanuel Paga added to DeMbare’s advantage in the second half with a well-taken freekick from the edge of the box.
At that time, Dynamos seemed to have everything under control but Hwange had other plans.
Marceline Mlilo scored Hwange’s first goal with a brilliant freekick from 35m before a Donald Dzvinyai own goal levelled matters.
That was the time drums at Mpilo End stopped beating as Dynamos fans were muted.
At the final whistle, the fans could not stomach the result and they rose into song as they turned on the coach.
Asked on his thoughts on the chants from fans and his job being on the line, Mangombe was confident this was just a passing phase.
“Not really. As a coach you know these guys need results. So if they are not getting results they are disappointed and we allow them to do that. When we are winning, they will sing Kaka is a good coach. So what I need to do is to motivate my boys to do better in the next assignment. Maybe in the third game we are going to make it,” said Mangombe.
The Dynamos coach feels his side is conceding silly goals.
“It’s a game of football. We have to accept some of these things. They normally happen for a reason. I am happy with the response from the boys after the defeat against Highlanders. I am happy with the way we are keeping possession. But, at the end of the day you ask yourself can we keep on conceding these silly goals. We still have to work on these guys, they have to understand they are playing for Dynamos. It’s not acceptable to concede such silly goals,” said Mangombe.
His opposite number Nation Dube said he always felt they still had a chance in the game despite being two goals down.
“I never thought the game was done when we were two goals down. I told myself that with the way they are playing, if we apply ourselves well they are not going to beat us. When we went into the dressing room I told my boys that let’s go one-on-one and then we will see what can come from there. Barbourfields is like our second home ground, if you look outside, we had some fans supporting us so we have supporters when we are playing here,” said Dube.
The match had a delayed start as the two teams were at loggerheads over kit issues. The game started 30 minutes later than it was supposed to.
Dynamos’ keeper Martin Mapisa was putting on a red jersey, which clashed with that of Hwange’s in-field players. The visitors wanted Mapisa to change, however, as the home side, DeMbare refused as the rules state that the away team has to change.
After a lengthy delay, Chipangano finally gave in and changed to their red and black strip.
At the start of the game, DeMbare were the hungrier of the two teams and created chances as early as the third minute of the game.
In the third minute, Paga sent in a beautiful cross which Nomore Chinyerere, failed to properly connect with and his weak effort was saved by Hwange’s shot stopper Wellington Muuya.
DeMbare continued asking questions and in the 15th minute, Muuya was brought into action again by Paga, but the forward’s effort was saved.
Teams
Dynamos: Martin Mapisa, Emmanuel Jalai, Shadreck Nyahwa (Issa Sadiki, 72nd minute), Donald Dzvinyai, Kevin Moyo, Tanaka Shandirwa (Arthur Musiyiwa, 68th minute), Fredrick Ansa Fredrick-Botchway, Donald Mudadi (Temptation Chiwunga 83rd minute), Nomore Chinyerere, Emmanuel Paga (Sadney auto-Khob 83rd minute), Keith Madera (Valentine Kadonzvo 72nd minute).
Hwange: Wellington Muuya, Jofias Mumpande, Bhekani Sibanda, Kelly Shiyandindi, Lukas Sibanda, Solomon Sithole, Shepard Gadzikwa, Canaan Nkomo (Prosper Mathe 63rd minute), Mongameli Tshuma, Gwift Mbweti (Prichard Mpelele 63rd minute), Marcelline Mlilo.
SOURCE: SUNDAY NEWS