Rookie saves DeMbare
DYNAMOS . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1 ZPC Kariba . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
HARARE football giants Dynamos failed to reproduce the fabulous performance they displayed against Yadah but it counted for little as they still collected their second set of full points in the Chibuku Super Cup Group 1 tie after they won against a spirited ZPC Kariba yesterday.
The Glamour Boys profited from an own goal by ZPC Kariba’s Collin Mujuru on 56 minutes who deflected rookie forward Bill Antonio’s shot into the net.
It was a huge gamble that paid off for coach Tonderai Ndiraya after he opted to give the teenager a starting role ahead of experienced players.
The Prince Edward High School student soaked all the pressure that comes with playing at this level of the game and was in the end the architect of the only goal that saw the Glamour Boys dethrone rivals Caps United from the top of Group 1.
It was Dynamos’ second successive win after a 4-0 rout of Yadah in a previous match and it sets the stage for a potentially intriguing Harare derby against bitter rivals Caps United on Sunday.
While Ndiraya was pleased with the result, the performance left him demanding more from his lads.
“I am happy we got three points. I am happy about the result, I am happy they won but I am disappointed by the performance. I am a bit disappointed in victory rather. The boys failed to replicate the Yadah performance. They used a lot of energy against Yadah, they wanted it more and gave their all but today they didn’t have the same desire, the Yadah match drained a lot from them but under those conditions I am happy they won. We had a slow start in the first half and credit to ZPC Kariba, they played well in the first half. In the second half, we made some tactical substitutions and we got the goal,” he said.
His counterpart Godfrey Tamirepi said his team was let down by poor ball management as well as fatigue. “We were let down by poor ball management. We were careless with the ball, we started slowly and defended deeply. We were let down by loose marking in the box but I am happy with the overall performance,” he said.
The ZPC Kariba gaffer said fatigue was taking its toll on his players due to travel. ZPC Kariba has been shuttling from Kariba to Harare since the start of the tournament.