FC Platinum suffered their first league defeat of the season when they went down 2-1 to Ngezi Platinum while Chapungu got the better of Chicken with two unanswered goals. 

A Platinum Defeat For Norman Mapeza 

Ngezi Platinum coach Tonderai Ndiraya was the first to admit that this win at the Baobab wasn’t easy on the eye. However, Ndiraya was not complaining after breaking a four-game winless run and handing FC Platinum their first defeat of this Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.

“Admittedly, it wasn’t a very smart win, but what is important was for us as a team to get back to winning ways,” said the home side’s gaffer. “We are very happy. What a way to end that bad spell with a win against FC Platinum, a very good Platinum side at that. “We knew these guys were very good offensively, especially when moving the ball around and had to come up with a game plan.”

Goals either side of the halftime whistle by Donald Teguru and Tatenda Mchisa handed Ngezi Platinum maximum points, while Brett Amidu scored the visitors’ consolation. A combination of injury and national team commitments forced Ndiraya into making changes and the Ngezi coach was impressed with how the juggling worked out. “We were missing about eight players and some of them very key for us, and if you can field another team and beat FC Platinum then that shows you have depth in your squad.

“We have assembled a very good team and I think this team will win more games in the future and take this team forward,” he said. FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza felt his side conceded soft goals.

“If you look at the first goal, the goalkeeper (Petroes Mhari) was supposed to come out for the ball, and then the second one came from the blind side. However, I do think that it was a good game of football but in terms of our standards we did not really do well,” he said.

Marshal Mudehwe was so poor for FC Platinum that his coach hauled him off before the half-time whistle.

“When we put a player like that out there, we will be expecting something from him. If he doesn’t deliver, then there is no reason to keep him out there and we take him out,” explained Mapeza.

Once again FC Platinum missed several gilt edged chances but their coach reckons most clubs face the same misfiring problem. “It’s a crisis in the whole country, but I don’t think we need to put the burden on the strikers alone The midfield should also chip; when they get an opportunity, they should bury it,” said Mapeza.

Chikuni Beats His Master

Chapungu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 2

Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(0) 0

Chicken Inn lost ground on leaders Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum when the Bulawayo-based outfit went down 2-0 to Chapungu in the biggest upset of match day 16 on Saturday. Goals by Allen Tavarwisa in the 42nd minute and Raymond Sibanda strike in the 73rd minute settled matters for the Airmen, whose gaffer – Tendai Chikuni – was coming up against his mentor Rahman Gumbo.

Gumbo could not get the better of his protégé in their first meeting after the two worked together on sourjons taking them to Malawi and Botswana with Chikuni as an assistant. The two would venture together, yet again, when Dr Rush landed the FC Platinum job in 2011 with Chikuni in tow.

After being separated at the platinum miners in 2012 when management pulled the plug on Gumbo, Chikuni was weaned and Saturday’s match was the first meeting between the two since then. Despite coming into the match as underdogs, the Chapungu coach showed that he was a good student taking control of the proceedings for the better part of the match and coming out with a result.

Chikuni was humble in victory, tribute to his “master” for the guidance. “It was really a balanced game and in the early minutes we were more organised. We, however, were able to read the game and the way they tried to change it in the second half, by bringing in experienced players to bolster their attack, was not enough.

“Rahman will always by the master but this is football. For me to be what I am it is because of him and he is like a father to me. It was not easy for me because most of the tricks and tactics I used today I learnt from him,” he said.

So distraught was Gumbo with the defeat that he refused to entertain journalists and sent his assistant, Julius Ndlovu, to speak to the media. “I am very disappointed with the loss and even if the referee had given us another hour of play it doesn’t look like we were going to score because everything was not going our way. Chapungu were tactically superior and we couldn’t penetrate,” Ndlovu said.

Ngezi are top of the table with 31 points, while Dynamos are second on 29. Saturday’s defeat leaves Chicken Inn third with 28 points.

Rhinos Hold ZPC At Nyamhunga

Either side could have won this one but at the sound of the final whistle at Nyamhunga, both camps welcomed the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League stalemate. “It’s a sweet draw away from home,” said Black Rhinos coach Stanford “Stix” Mtizwa. “For us getting this draw is welcome because we lost our last match against Harare City.

“Playing ZPC Kariba at this venue is never easy and we knew that we had our work cut out. The early goal gave us confidence but they equalised when we were thinking of going to the break in the lead.” Chauya Chipembere surged into a 14th minute lead through Lot Chiwunga, but Kauya Katuruturu levelled matters though big striker Francesco Zekumbawire on 35 minutes.

The second half was a cagey affair as both sides struggled for rhythm. Stand-in ZPC Kariba coach Oliver Matava watched his team fluff their lines in front of goal but chose to focus on the positives.

“Our unbeaten home run is still intact and that is a good thing,” said the gaffer who is standing in for Sunday Chidzambwa, who is in South Africa with the senior men’s national team. “In terms of performance the boys did well but again we were found wanting when it came to converting the chances we created. Black Rhinos are a good team, they made a fight of it and in the end maybe a draw was a fair result,” he said.

Tsholotsho Allergic To Winning 

Tsholotsho must be allergic to winning. The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League’s basement side blew a two-goal lead and drew with a Triangle side that barely deserved a point at Dulivhadzimo on Saturday.

Tsholotsho have now gone 16 matches without a win, drawing six and losing ten. They have scored just eight and conceded 22 times this season, and coach Darlington Dodo looked lost after watching his team snatch a draw from the jaws of victory.

“The draw is devastating. We lost concentration in the last 30 minutes of the game,” said the Tsholotsho gaffer. “We had a good start and got into what seemed a commanding 2-0 lead and from there everyone would have expected us to see the game through.

“However, we made mistakes at crucial stages of the game and we will be working in addressing them before our next game away to Black Rhinos.” It was Dodo’s team which started brightly with Trust Nyabinde heading them into the lead before Ayanda Ncube doubled their lead on 72 minutes.

Tsholotsho then sought to close shop but Triangle substitute Richard Kawondera had other ideas. Kawondera, who came in on 70 minutes, halved the deficit on 78 minutes before restoring parity nine minutes later.

The result left Tsholotsho firmly stuck to the basement with six points from 16 matches while Triangle have 19 points from 16 matches as well. The visitors coach Taurai Mangwiro hailed his team for never giving up.

“It was a difficult game but credit to the boys for fighting until the final whistle. We struggled to defend set pieces and lost concentration when they opened the scoring but at the end of the day we welcome the point. “Ralph used his time on the bench to read the game well, came in and scored a brace which earned us a point,” he said.