MANICA DIAMONDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1)
ZPC KARIBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)
NEW Manica Diamonds coach Hebert Maruwa marked his debut with a 1-0 win over ZPC Kariba in a tightly contested Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash at Sakubva Stadium yesterday.
The narrow victory brought relief to club president Evans Kamombo and his executive after a tense 90 minutes, as Maruwa’s side showed early signs of a rebuild under the new technical leadership.
The match was evenly balanced in the opening stages, with both sides cautious in attack. Manica Diamonds looked more dangerous on the counter, while ZPC Kariba enjoyed greater possession but struggled to create clear chances.
ZPC Kariba wasted a key opportunity in the 29th minute when Nigel Kupara failed to convert from close range after being set up by Wayne Kamurai.
The miss proved costly as Manica Diamonds struck two minutes later. In the 31st minute, lively winger Charles Teguru produced dazzling footwork to weave past a cluster of defenders before laying the ball on a plate for Liberty Manzunzu, who calmly tapped home what turned out to be the decisive goal.
ZPC Kariba came close to an equaliser just before halftime when Kamurai’s free kick forced a fine save from goalkeeper Godfrey Chitsumba.
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Manica Diamonds nearly doubled their advantage in the 54th minute, but Manzunzu’s header from a Peter Masibhera long throw went narrowly wide.
After the break, ZPC Kariba piled on pressure in search of an equaliser, but Manica Diamonds held firm. Man of the match Phillip Kaseke produced a commanding display to anchor the back line.
Speaking after the match, Maruwa expressed satisfaction with the result but stressed that rebuilding remained a work in progress.
“It was a very good match and I am very happy that we collected maximum points. We still have a lot to do and we are rebuilding,” he said.
ZPC Kariba coach Frank Chitukutuku, however, blamed off-field interference for the defeat.
"“We did not lose the match on the pitch, but we lost it to other factors beyond my control. The Manica Diamonds technical bench was interfering with my players by hiding balls to waste time," he said.
The result gives Manica Diamonds a morale boost as Maruwa begins his tenure, while ZPC Kariba were left to rue missed chances in a match they could have salvaged a point from.
