The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa in Gweru
Chapungu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 2
Chicken Inn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
CHAPUNGU coach Tendai Chikuni could have left Ascot Stadium telling himself that he learnt from the best when he got the better of his mentor Rahman Gumbo when his side beat Chicken Inn in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League encounter at Ascot Stadium yesterday.
Goals in either half by Allen Tavarwisa in the 42nd minute and Raymond Sibanda in the 73rd minute settled matters for the airmen. Gumbo could not get the better of his protégé in their first meeting after the two worked together in Malawi and Botswana with Chikuni as an assistant before “Rush” landed the FC Platinum job in 2011 with the latter in tow.
After being separated at the platinum miners in 2012 when the management pulled the plug on Gumbo, Chikuni was weaned and yesterday’s match was the first meeting after the young gaffer became independent.
Despite coming into the match as an underdog the Chapungu coach showed that he was a good student taking control of the proceedings for the better part of the match and coming out with a result.
Chikuni in spite of the win was humble in glory paying tribute to his “master” for the guidance.
“It was really a balanced game and in the early minutes we were more organised. We, however, were able to read the game and the way they tried to change it in the second half by bringing in experienced players to bolster their attack. Rahman is always my master but this is football. For me to be what I am it is because of him. He is like a father to me. It was not easy for me because most of the tricks and tactics I use today I learnt from him,” he said.
Gumbo sent his assistant Julius Ndlovu for a post match interview who conceded that Waru Waru were tactically superior than them.
“I am very disappointed with the loss and even if the referee had given us another hour of play it doesn’t look like we were going to score. Chapungu were tactically superior than us because they packed their defence and we couldn’t penetrate,” he said.
The match opened as an evenly balanced affair and soon Chikuni who was employing 3-5-2 formation managed to suffocate the Chicken Inn defence with Clemence Matawu who usually engineers many of the gamecocks raids becoming a mere pedestrian.
Chapungu opened scoring in the 42nd minute when Ian Nyoni flighted a perfect inch cross to find an unmarked Tavarwisa who headed home from close range past a flying Elvis Chipezeze. The airmen doubled their advantage when Nyoni weaved past Chicken Inn defence before squaring the ball Sibanda who rifled home from close range. Chapungu could have increased their lead four minutes later when Tineyi Chitora unleashed a thunderbolt which was spilled into his way by Chipezeze but was again denied by the goalkeeper who parried the ball to safety.
