FC Platinum go top
Bantu Rovers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 FC Platinum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)1 FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza heaped a lot of praise on his opponents Bantu Rovers’ play after his side managed to scrape a 1-0 win against the second bottom team to shoot to the top of the log in a Castle Lager Premier League match at Luveve Stadium yesterday.
FC Platinum moved to the top, displacing Ngezi Platinum who are only in action this afternoon at home to Hwange. There was little goal action in the first half as the youthful home side chose to put more men at the back and hoping to hit their more illustrious opponents on a counter. The first clear goal opportunity came in the 40th minute when veteran striker Mkhokheli Dube’s header from a Bret Amidu cross hit the upright with Wellington Muuya in goals for Bantu Rovers having been caught flat footed.
The second half started in the same fashion as the first though the home side managed to match their opponents man for man with some impressive passing game. However, Kugona Kunenge Kudada as FC Platinum are called managed to break the deadlock in the 59th minute when attacking midfielder Rodwell Chinyengetere controlled the ball with his left thigh inside the opposition’s 18-yard box and let loose a scorcher with his right foot past a bemused Muuya.
Bantu Rovers picked up the tempo of their game and could have equalised in the 65th minute when Marvin Sibanda’s freekick from about 22 metres hit the woodwork. In an effort to fortify his strike-force Bantu Rovers coach Methembe Ndlovu brought out defensive linkman Munyaradzi Chitambwe for striker Mbonisi Ncube while Mapeza also substituted Charles Sibanda who had a subdued game by his standards for former Hwange striker Gift Mbweti.
Bantu Rovers should have got an equaliser in the 78th minute when Marvin Sibanda’s inch perfect pass found an unmarked Ncube whose attempted lob was acrobatically saved by FC Platinum goalie Petros Mhari.
Bantu could have got an equaliser against the run of play in the 87th minute when Ncube outpaced FC Platinum’s defence line and with only Petros Mhari to beat, the substitute made a meal of it and was disposed by defender Ian Nekati as he attempted to go for the kill.
FC Platinum mentor Mapeza applauded his opponents for putting on a spirited effort further stating that his charges need to win more of their away matches to stay in contention for their maiden championship. “I don’t think we did well today. I don’t know maybe it was complacency but we didn’t play well at all. Good game from Bantu I think they are looking better now, if you look at how they did against Chicken Inn. I think it was the same scenario where Chicken Inn scored in the second half. I think they are a much improved side now . . . ,” he said.
Ndlovu was also full of praise for his charges for putting on a splendid performance against seasoned campaigners.
“We were playing a very good team and I think our guys gave their best. Like we always say you can’t control the results but we can only control our performance. I thought we did our best, unfortunately we just came across a strong team but we are fairly happy with the performance of our guys,” he said.
FC Platinum: P Mhari , R Muduviwa, E Moyo , K Moyo, I Nekati, W Mhango, R Chinyengetere, B Amidu , A Sadiki, M Dube (T Chinyama), C Sibanda (G Mbweti) Bantu Rovers: W Muuya, K Dzingwe, D Ndlovu , L Ndlovu , L Ncube, T Kumbuyani, L Ndlela (M Dube), M Chitambwe (M Ncube), N Garai , P Zivengwa , M Sibanda, B Ncube
Results at a glance Bantu Rovers 0-1 FC Platinum Tsholotsho 1-1 How Mine ZPC Kariba 0-0 Yadah FC