Bantu lose, ZPC still unbeaten

Sport
FC PLATINUM recorded their fourth win of the season with a hard fought 1-0 win over Bantu Rovers in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer league match at Mandava Stadium yesterday.

FC PLATINUM recorded their fourth win of the season with a hard fought 1-0 win over Bantu Rovers in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer league match at Mandava Stadium yesterday.

sports reporters

FC Platinum . . . . (1) (1) Bantu Rovers . . . (0) (0)

ZPC Kariba . . . . . . . . . 1 Chiredzi FC . . . . . . . . . .1

Marshall Mudewe’s first-half goal was all the platinum miners needed to collect maximum points. The miners came into the match looking to add to their meagre tally of just three league wins, while the visitors wanted to keep up the momentum following last week’s impressive 3-1 win over Buffaloes.

Winning coach Lloyd Mutasa was happy with the result.

“Obviously it was not going to be an easy game coming from three draws, but I am happy the boys managed to win today,” he said. Bantu Rovers coach Methembe Ndlovu (pictured) praised his charges though in a losing cause.

“We played well, but unfortunately luck was not on our side and I want to congratulate the players for the good show,” he said.

The hosts were the better side from the onset with Nelson Mazivisa the focal point of attack, but the former Shabanie Mine talisman failed to repay the trust put in him by his coach, fluffing two glorious chances from crosses by Walter Musona and Qadr Amini respectively in the opening thirteen minutes.

Thirty minutes into the game Master Mlangeni wasted Bantu Rovers’ chance to take the lead with his effort going over the bar after he had controlled superbly inside the box.

A few minutes later Obadiah Tarumbwa wasted two chances in quick succession — the first one skiing over the bar before he was denied on a point-blank effort by Petros Mhari in goals for FC Platinum.

Two minutes before the breather, Mudewe capitalised on a defense mix-up between Proud Zireni and Mutanga to power home a rebound into an empty net.

The visitors came back after the breather with renewed vigour. Lawson Nkomo’s free kick seven minutes into the second stanza found no taker. Tandazani Ndlovu had a chance, but his header kissed the woodwork.

Zambian import Obrey Chirwa’s effort was cleared off the line by Teenage Hadebe.

Meanwhile, a 10-man ZPC Kariba and a gallant Chiredzi FC shared the spoils in a gripping match played at Gwanzura Stadium yesterday.

The one-all draw meant high flying debutants ZPC Kariba managed to preserve their unbeaten run this far in the league.

After a dull first half whose major highlight was the sending off of ZPC midfielder Luckmore Makura along with his coach Saul Chaminuka, Chiredzi took the lead in the 49th minute through well-taken Wellington Nyamudyariwa penalty after David Mtemwanjera was hacked down in the box by Dennis Dauda.

Five minutes later ZPC Kariba drew level through Artwell Nyamiwa slotting home past an advancing Sphephen Chimusoro in goals for Chiredzi.

The Moses Chunga side thought they had bagged maximum points two minutes later, but Marlvern Gaki’s effort was controversially flagged offside.

Saul Chaminuka was an aggrieved man after the match.

“I’m not happy about the result and the officiating. We could have won, but this is the sad state of football in this country,” he said.

Chunga felt they had done enough to win the encounter.

“It’s an important draw for us, but we could have scored three more goals. Our other goal was judged offside, it happens in football,” he said.