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Eddie Chikamhi, Harare Bureau
Yadah  3 – 0 Chapungu

MIDFIELDER Johannes Sibanda scored a brace as hosts Yadah piled misery on ailing Air Force of Zimbabwe side Chapungu in a poorly attended Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.

Sibanda found the target either side of the half after their team skipper Brian Mapfumo had led the way with a fourth minute goal.

The midfielder, who was on target again last week when the Harare side came from behind to force a 3-3 draw at Bulawayo City, doubled the lead with a brilliant rising shot from a distance in the 25th minute and then returned to kill off the game with a header from Willard Kalongonda’s cross midway through the second half.

Yadah coach Thomas Ruzive was excited by his team’s performance, especially the defence that kept a clean sheet to condemn Chapungu to their ninth defeat in 16 outings.

“I think the guys played very well especially in the area which we had been struggling with because I thought our conversion rate was very poor. There has been vast improvement in the last two games.

“I also think the defence gave a five-star performance and I am very happy with that,” said Ruzive.

The home team managed to take control of the game yesterday when Kalongonda took a quick throw-in on the right to release Mapfumo who responded with a quick shot that beat Chapungu second-choice goalkeeper Collen Phiri.

Chapungu tried to come back into the game but their efforts were deflated when Sibanda spotted the badly positioned goalkeeper and unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box that gave Phiri no chance at all.

Yadah could have gone to the breather with more goals but Cliff Sekete and Ralph Matema missed some good chances.

Morris Musiyakuvi also had a good attempt but Chapungu defender Moenda Muchingami cleared the ball from the line in the 56th minute after the keeper Phiri had strayed from his area.

Phiri was not so lucky in the 67th minute when a cross from the right again found him on the wrong foot and was beaten by a header from Sibanda inside the box.

Chapungu coach Rodwell Dhlakama was not pleased by Phiri’s performance after the keeper was given the nod in the absence of Talbert Shumba who was at the Cosafa Cup with the national team in South Africa.

Yadah increased their points tally to 18 points and moved one place up to 11th on the log standings while Chapungu remained rooted fourth from the bottom with 13 points.

Teams
Yadah: S Mafukidze, W Kalongonda, W. Chakanyuka, A Makopa, J Chitereki, B Mapfumo, E Karembo, C Sekete (L Murape, 63rd min), M Musiyakuvi, J Sibanda (G Mugabe, 88th min), R Matema (M Meleka, 88th min).

Chapungu: C Phiri, E Chitambo, R Bota, B Mbavarira, M Muchingami, E Muzanenhamo, I Nyoni, T Kumbuyani (T Chimoyo, 48th min), A Tavarwisa, B Mtigo, X Ncube (P Marufu, 48th min)