Chicken bring Shabanie back to earth

Sport
Shabanie Mine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (3)

Shabanie Mine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (3)

MICHAEL MADYIRA IN ZVISHAVANE

KUDA MAHACHI turned on the style to inspire Chicken Inn to roast Shabanie Mine in a Mbada Diamonds Cup first-round match at Mandava in Zvishavane yesterday.

In an impressive second half, Mahachi sealed victory for the GameCox 21 minutes from time with a superb goal to add on to equally impressive Canaan Nkomo’s opener three minutes after the break and Clemence Matawu’s 62nd minute strike.

Condemning Shabanie to a pale shadow of a side that claimed the BancABC Sup8r Cup seven days earlier at the same venue, Chicken Inn set up a quarter-final berth with a convincing performance that was a serious assault on Zimbabwe’s richest football contest.

Following a first half that saw no side creating a clear-cut chance, Chicken Inn was dominant especially in midfield where Mahachi pulled the strings.

The dominance by Mahachi operating from the left wing, Nkomo, Matawu and Danny Phiri snapped the zeal out of Shabanie who looked out of sorts with Frank Bushire the only promising figure in the Shabanie squad especially in the opening minutes.

Shabanie coach Luke Masomere conceded being totally outplayed.

“They dominated us from the onset and there was no way we were going to win. When Erea Phiri got injured earlier in the match the complexion of the game changed,” Masomere said.

Three minutes from the breather, an unmarked Nkomo fired a long-range shot that nestled in the top corner to set the tone for the rout. But Shabanie responded seven minutes later when Pervington Zimunya charged towards goal but failed to control the ball while faced with an already beaten Njabulo Nyoni in goals for Chicken Inn.

Matawu completed the rout from a quick exchange of passes with Tendai Mukambi.

Mahachi burst from the left wing and outpaced Tafadzwa Mombeshora to shoot past Victor Twaliki from an acute angle. Chicken Inn coach Mandla Mpofu is already looking towards the final.

“It was a fine performance from my boys. If they continue like this, we will go all the way to the finals,” Mpofu said.