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Mukudzei Chingwere in Zvishavane and Oscar Rusenga in Triangle

Shabanie 1-1 Ngezi; Triangle 2-1 Caps

AFTER 539 minutes of action and just a minute shy of completing a six-match Castle Lager Premier Soccer League winning streak, early pace setters — Ngezi Platinum conceded their first goal and lost their 100 percent record at Maglas yesterday.

Shabanie Mine became the first team in the top-flight this season to find a way past the Ngezi defence when David Temwanjira cancelled Terrence Dzvukamanja’s 37th minute goal and also forced the visitors to their first share of the spoils this year.

The goal was celebrated across town at Mandava, the home of rivals FC Platinum’s home, as much as it was at Maglas as the two platinum miners are having a huge say in the early stages of this championship marathon.

Coach Tonderai Ndiraya was disappointed that his charges dropped their first points of the season and blamed his charges for losing concentration at a crucial stage of the game. “I am disappointed because we conceded a silly goal, you could actually see it from the bench that David was not picked and you cannot do that.

“I think it’s an issue of concentration you cannot do that . . . I am disappointed we dropped points we could not have dropped we actually created a lot of chances.

“But all the same it was a good game of football we created a number of chances Clive came face to face with the goalkeeper and failed to convert.

“In the end you tend to rue the missed chances but such is the game, Maglas is a difficult venue to come and get points but I felt we had done enough to get points but unfortunately we dropped two,” said Ndiraya.

Shabanie coach, Takesure Chiragwi’s men put up a splendid show especially in the second half and showed they really wanted it more despite trailing on the score sheet. Although there had been talk that the players this week missed three days of training and had even threatened to boycott the match, that never showed once the encounter got underway.

It also emerged that the Shabanie players were only convinced to take to the field after businessman and former club executive member Dumezweni Mawite Mpofu intervened and paid them part of their dues.
Chiragwi was happy his charges managed to stop Ngezi but declined to discuss the issues around the players’ payment.

Meanwhile, Triangle coach, Taurai Mangwiro, described his team’s upset Castle Lager Premier Soccer League victory over Caps United at Gibbo yesterday as “a perfect birthday present from the players’’.

Mangwiro whose side have had a slow start to the season, turned on the power over the 2016 champions with Nhamo Lameck grabbing a later goal that decided the encounter.

The former Caps United and Harare City coach turned 48 yesterday. “The players worked very well against a well organised Caps United. It’s a sweet win for us as it was not an easy match. “It’s a perfect birthday present for me from my boys and I can’t ask for more. They worked very hard against a well organised team, we need to be dominant at home and work very hard when playing away,’’ Mangwiro said.

It is the third time that Lameck has struck late in a match for Triangle with the diminutive striker having previously found crucial goals against ZPC Kariba and Yadah Stars as the Sugar Sugar Boys registered their third straight win.

Triangle’s third successive win is in stark contrast to the manner in which they started the season which had seen pressure building up on Mangwiro after indifferent performances in their opening three games.

Trevor Mavhunga had thrust Triangle into the lead in the 52nd minute before Joel Ngodzo restored parity for Caps United seven minutes from time when scoring from the penalty spot. Caps United coach, Lloyd Chitembwe, felt his side could have at least come out of Gibbo with something had they been more careful with their defending in the final stages of the game.

It was Caps United’s first defeat of the season but Chitembwe insisted he was happy with the way his team had applied themselves in the second period.
“ . . . not really disappointed with the performance, we played good football in the second half. We did come strongly in the second half, we could have done far much better in the second goal in our defending.

“We are still within our targets, we have a long season. We need to train hard and correct some few mistakes, but the application from the players was good,’’ Chitembwe said.

Triangle started the match on fire as they tried to unsettle their more fancied opponents with an early goal.