DYNAMOS got their revenge on Buffaloes when they beat the army side in an incident-filled BancABC Sup8r quarter-final match played at Gibbo Stadium in Triangle yesterday.
REPORT BY HENRY MHARA IN TRIANGLE
Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2)2 Buffaloes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 0
Two quick goals by Augustine Mbara and Russell Madamombe early in the match saw the Harare giants atone for their 3-2 defeat to the same opposition in a league encounter last week.
More crucially, the win saw Dynamos booking a semi-final berth with Shabanie Mine, who beat Chicken Inn 2-0 at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane on Friday, as the race for the $120 000 top prize gathered pace.
Dynamos played the last 30 minutes of the match without coach Kalisto Pasuwa who was sent to the terraces by referee Munyaradzi Majoni for allegedly using foul language against the match official.
Buffaloes defender Admire Dzumbunu seemed to have clashed with Dynamos assistant coach Munyaradzi Diya, although the official appeared to over-dramatise the incident by literally collapsing theatrically.
Pasuwa was furious about the match officiating.
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“I really don’t know why he sent me to the terraces. I just asked him why he was not protecting my players and he cautioned me, but then the linesman told him to send me away. It’s not my character to shout or insult referees, I will never do that.”
His opposite number Timothy Masachi said he faced a totally different Dynamos side from the one he beat at Sakubva Stadium.
“Dynamos were more organised and more determined this time around. They had a strategy to attack us from the word go and they got their goals. We played better in the second half, but the damage had already been done. Had we avoided those early goals, I think we could have won the match,” Masachi said. Patrick Kumbula’s sliding shot went wide in the opening minute while Madamombe had his shot blocked moments later.
The Dynamos pressure finally told on seven minutes when a high ball into the box found the towering Mbara whose effort hit the underside of the bar. Clive Kawinga then bundled the ball home and the referee had already signalled for a goal.
Another high ball into the box was headed down by Kumbula and the ball fell on the path of Madamombe to fire home in the 17th minute.
Masachi introduced Dzumbunu at halftime and the change breathed some life into the lethargic Buffaloes side.
The tall striker was involved in his side’s best move of the match on 68 minutes when he combined with ex-Dynamos player Wonder Sithole on the left side, but the resultant cross was cut out by Dynamos goalie George Chigova.
But the army side would come even closer to score when Dzumbunu’s free-kick from outside the box hit the upright and from the rebound Philip Chandisaita’s snap shot was blocked by Chigova and the ball rolled out for a corner.
There was a scramble in the box following the corner-kick and Buffaloes thought they had scored as the ball appeared to have crossed the line, but the referee instead blew for an infringement on Chigova. Buffaloes put pressure on Dynamos who were clearly trying to slow down the tempo by feigning injuries with Chigova and Morris Kadzola being the chief culprits, the later cautioned for the offence.
As the clock ticked away, Buffaloes threw numbers upfront, but they were nearly caught on the break when substitute Tichaona Mabvura ran clear on the left channel deep into added-on time, but the Mutare-born player’s intended chip could not get enough flight to beat Tandadzai Chengetai who was guarding the opponent’s goal.
Teams Dynamos: G Chigova, M Kadzola, G Bello, A Mbara, O Mushure, D Chafa, T Muparati, R Madamombe (M Murape, 80th min), T Magorimbo (T Mabvura, 70th min), P Kumbula (B Bogere, 50th min), C Kawinga. Buffaloes: T Chengetai, S Nkata, P Chandisaita, T Ndlovu, P Matizanadzo, A Patrick (A Dzumbunu 46th min), W Sithole, T Mareya (P Tembani, 67th min), J Muzokomba, S Sibanda (M Mageja, 73rd min), R Mwenga
Results Yesterday: Monomotapa 1-0 Motor Action, Dynamos 2-0 Buffaloes Saturday: Highlanders 0-0 FC Platinum (FC Platinum won 3-1 after a penalty shoot-out) Friday: Chicken Inn 0-2 Shabanie Mine
Semi-finals Dynamos v Shabanie Mine, Monomotapa v FC Platinum
