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Nation Dube

Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
Hwange 0 -1 ZPC Kariba

A WELL-executed goal by Never Tigere in the 52nd minute was powerful enough to electrocute Hwange in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at the Colliery Stadium yesterday.

The solitary goal was a product of some brilliant individual performance by man-of-the match Samuel Makawa, who gained possession near the centre line and embarked on a strong run on the right flank before laying a sumptuous cross for Tigere to hammer the ball past an exposed Taimon Mvula in goal for Hwange.

ZPC Kariba had started the match with lots of energy and could have killed it as a contest in the first half, as they made the home side chase shadows throughout.

On the quarter hour mark, ZPC Kariba striker Daniel Chakupe’s cross from the left flank was met with a flashing header by Makawa, but it just sailed over the bar by a few inches.

Three minutes later, Dexter Phiri fumbled another glorious scoring opportunity when he failed to stab the ball past Mvula, as ZPC Kariba laid siege on the Hwange goal area.

The coalminers’ first real chance fell to midfielder Justine Kaunda in the 37th minute, but his free-kick from the edge of the box was well dealt with by veteran goal minder Tendai Hove, who tipped it over for a corner kick.

Hwange were more purposeful in the second half and striker Tendai Mate almost jolted the home fans off their seats in the 50th minute barring the intervention of defender Slyvester Appiah, who made a heroic goal line clearance.

Then came Makawa’s moment of magic by running half the pitch to feed Tigere for what proved to be the winner in the 52nd minute.

Hwange poured forward in search of an equaliser and their chance to force a draw came four minutes from time, but Mate’s glancing header was acrobatically tipped over the bar by Hove, with the entire Hwange bench already celebrating.

Hwange coach Nation Dube admitted that his charges were not in the game for the entire contest.

“It was a bad day in the office for the team as we even failed to play our usual passing game. The visitors employed a physical game against our youngsters, who could not cope. I hope to recover in the next game,” said a visibly worried Dube.

ZPC Kariba team manager Oliver Mataba, standing in for Cosafa Castle cup winning coach Sunday Chidzambwa, was excited by the outcome.

“This is a good present for the head coach whom we all knew would make history by beating Zambia and we planned to give him double delight today. We have been poor on the road and I am happy we grabbed three big away points,” said Mataba.

Teams

Hwange: T Mvula; K Matake; G Ndlovu; O Moyo; C Phiri (O Lungu 81st min); A Tshuma; C Muleya (A Banda 69th min); S Gadzikwa; J Kaunda; T Mate; M Ncube (W Munorwei 58th min)

ZPC Kariba: T Hove; B Zuberi; M Kunyarimwe; S Appiah; T Nyamandwe (A Chivheya 84th min); T Munyanduri; N Tigere; G Mangani; D Phiri ( T Mugoniwa 62th min); S Makawa; D Chakupe (C Rukwani 77th min)