Gamecocks hold DeMbare
Chicken Inn ................................. 0 Dynamos ..................................... 0
DYNAMOS’ six-match winning streak came to an end in a drab goalless draw against a 10-man Chicken Inn in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields yesterday.
The Harare giants, who had become accustomed to scoring since recovering from a 0-1 loss to Black Rhinos on May 18, struggled to find their groove yesterday and rarely troubled Chicken Inn goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze.
A weak header by Christian Epoupa straight into the hands of Chipezeze in the 55th minute and a 80th minute shot, which missed the target by inches after the Cameroonian striker had worked his way past three Chicken Inn players, were the notable scoring chances that Dynamos created all day.
Dynamos also failed to make use of their numerical advantage after Chicken Inn midfielder George Majika was shown a second yellow card by referee Arnold Ncube in the 56th minute for a foul on slippery DeMbare midfielder Cleopas Kapupurika. Yesterday’s result saw Dynamos moving a place down the ladder to third place with 30 points, one behind Black Rhinos, who edged Tsholotsho FC and Ngezi Platinum Stars, who lost 0-1 at Triangle United. Rhinos and Ngezi are tied on 31 points. Dynamos’ assistant coach Biggie Zuze felt they “lost two valuable points”.
“Some will say it’s a point gained away from home, but I feel we lost two valuable points. However, I give credit to both teams, as they played in high tempo. We didn’t penetrate as we would have liked in the first half, but we were better in the second half,” said Zuze. Both teams were compact in their defending and rarely gave each other space to breath. Dynamos’ keeper Tonderai Mateyaunga produced the save of the day when he went airborne to tip a close range shot from Majika over the bar in the 12th minute.
Majika had received a long pass from the right and beat his marker to come faceto-face with Mateyaunga and his rising shot brought the best out of the DeMbare goalie.
Mateyaunga almost gifted Chicken Inn a goal in the 69th minute when he missed a Passmore Bernard cross from the right after coming off his line, only for Chicken Inn left-back Devine Lunga to hit the side netting. With both teams failing to create any goalmouth action, referee Ncube was the star of the day, flashing seven yellow cards, including two to Majika.
The Chicken Inn duo of Bernard and Obidiah Tarumbwa as well as the Dynamos trio of Denver Mukamba, Obey Mwerahari and Phakamani Dube all found their way into the referee’s book.
Mwerahari’s 18th minute crude lunge on new Chicken Inn signing Collins Duhwa incensed the Gamecocks’ coach Rahman Gumbo, as he was forced to withdraw the attacking midfielder signed from Shabanie Mine in the 27th minute for Thomas Kadyaridzire.