Chapungu survive Kadoma scare

Sport
CHAPUNGU continued their fairytale return to top-flight football with a hard-fought victory over fellow army side Black Rhinos at Rimuka Stadium yesterday.

CHAPUNGU continued their fairytale return to top-flight football with a hard-fought victory over fellow army side Black Rhinos at Rimuka Stadium yesterday.

MUKUDZEI CHINGWERE SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Black Rhinos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 0 Chapungu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1

A solitary second half header from Hillary Mugoni, who was on loan to Black Rhinos from Chapungu last season, was enough for the John Nyikadzino-coached soldiers to collect all three points.

It is a result that owes a lot to the solid goalkeeping of Chapungu goalie Roy Mazingi and the heroic defending from the Gweru-based Air Force side. After the match, Nyikadzino was happy with the performance from his charges.

“I am very happy about the effort put by the boys. We did not control the game though, but that does not matter because we were playing away from home,” he said.

The losing coach Arthur Tutani was disappointed that his charges created chances, but could not make them count.

“We created chances, but we did not utilise them and we were punished, that is football. But we will work on our finishing as we go forward,” Tutani said.

Black Rhinos were in control of the game from the onset, but their strikers could not convert chances that came their way.

Lot Chiungwa was slow to react when he received a long ball from midfield leaving the Gweru based team to clear their lines.

Eleven minutes after the breather Brian Muzondiwa tasted the resolve of Mazingi with a ferocious long-range shot and keeper was equal to the task.

Chiungwa thought he had grabbed the elusive goal for Black Rhinos in the 75th minute, but his effort was disallowed as the referee adjudged him to have scored from an offside position.

With 12 minutes to go Gift Phiri sent in a corner which found an unmarked Mugoni to head home the goal which proved to be the winner.