The Sunday News
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
Bulawayo Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(0) 1
Ngezi Platinum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(0) 1
BULAWAYO Chiefs and Ngezi Platinum Stars started off the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League by sharing points at Luveve Stadium in Bulawayo yesterday.
Both sides scored beautiful goals but signs of rustiness could be noticed from the two sides. This was the opening match of the new season and it is perhaps understandable why fitness levels were vividly not up to the expected standards.
Castle Lager Premier
Chiefs were the first to take the lead through Nkosilathi Ncube in the 54th minute. The goal came after a beautiful inter-change of play between Obriel Chirinda who initiated the move, Farau Matare who provided the final pass and Ncube with a perfect finish from close range.
Ngezi Platinum replied through a well taken free kick from Qadr Amini in the 75th minute. From that moment, the game could have gone either way with Chiefs getting a few chances they failed to utilise, the best falling to Matare on the stroke of full-time but Nelson Chadya pulled out a great save. Chiefs coach Lizwe Sweswe was happy with his side’s start to the season and believes that in time they will be sailing smoothly.
“We are coming up, we are a new team. Give us two three games and we will be cruising. We have played two big teams and the team is doing their best,’’ remarked Sweswe.
His opposite number Takesure Chiragwi said: “It was a decent game. I think it was a game that was in our hands but we failed to grab the chances that we created in the first-half.”
Chiefs took the game to the visitors from the first whistle. Just after three minutes of play, Last Jesi combined well with striker Obriel Chirinda who fired wide from inside the box.
Thomas Sweswe
Six minutes later, the visitors had their first close chance of the game through Malvin Gaki whose shot from outside the box went over the bar.
A few moments later Tapiwa Mandinyenya almost capitalised on an Ali Issah mistake but his shot from an acute angle was wide of goal.
Issah had failed to collect a cross from the right and the ball fell into the path of a free Mandinyenya who could not convert.
— Follow on Twitter @innocentskizoe
