Innocent Kurira, At Luveve Stadium
Chicken Inn 3-0 Bikita Minerals
ON an afternoon that Bikita Minerals looked to the sky hoping for a miracle and a positive result from the football gods to boost their relegation chance, Chicken Inn were in no mood to give away three points with a spirited performance that blew away their opponents at Luveve Stadium yesterday.
The result meant Bikita Minerals remained fourth from bottom of the PSL log and will now need more than a miracle to survive relegation on the last day of the season.
Bikita Minerals face another relegation-threatened candidate Hwange FC on their last assignment.
Chicken Inn went in front 20 minutes into the game courtesy of Brighton Makopa’s clinical finish after he capitalised on a rebound opportunity after a goal-mouth scramble.
He fired from close range after Elshamar Farasi’s initial shot rebounded off the upright.
The Gamecocks extended their lead in the 63rd minute through the boots of Genius Mutungamiri who slotted home from close range.
Irvine Mukombwe’s exquisite through-ball split the Bikita Minerals defence, allowing Mutungamiri to capitalise on the glorious chance.
Michael Charamba made it three for Chicken Inn with a brilliantly taken free-kick from just outside the box, three minutes before full-time.
Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas was pleased with the victory.
“I thought the boys did well. It was a good performance. We wanted to win our last game of the season at home and we did just that,” said Antipas.
The long travel from Bikita and the hopes of a win eluded the mineral miners and coach Arnold Jani’s sentiments after the game in a post-match interview said it all.
“We came here wanting a win but we had a poor start. We had some of our players suspended for this game and it worked against us.”
In a rather bizarre admission of an administrative error on the part of the visitors, the coach admitted that the team only discovered that two of their players, who were already in the travelling party, where in fact suspended and would not take part in the match in Bulawayo.
Chicken Inn players celebrate their second goal against Bikita Minerals during the Castle lager Premier Soccer league match played at Luveve Stadium yesterday
Bikita Minerals created the first scoring opportunity in the 10th minute, as Spencer Gonyora burst past the Chicken Inn defence.
However, the chance went begging as he shot wide from what appeared to be a good scoring position.
Moments later, Chicken Inn’s Xolani Ndlovu threatened with a free-kick from the right flank, but his effort sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
The visitors intensified their pursuit of an equaliser towards the break, unleashing two long-range attempts in quick succession.
Tinashe Ruzive and Chris Makamba tested Chicken Inn’s goalkeeper Bernard Donovan with shots from distance, but both efforts narrowly missed the target.
Chicken Inn players celebrate their second goal against Bikita Minerals during the Castle Lager Premier Soccer league match played at Luveve Stadium yesterday
Makopa also fired over the bar for Chicken Inn from close range before the teams went for the break. Midway into the second-half, Chicken Inn threatened through Miguel Feldman and Brighton Makopa.
Bikita Minerals goalkeeper Francis Tizayi produced two outstanding saves to deny Feldman and Makopa, but couldn’t prevent Mutungamiri’s second moments later.
Teams
Chicken Inn FC
B Donovan, I Munkombwe (B Rendo 64), I Mabunu, M Fieldman (N Charamba 64), G Mtungamiri (D Phiri 85), L Mangaira, E Farasi (L Ndlovu 85), J Tulani, B Makopa (B Muza 75), K Dzingwe, X Ndlovu
Bikita Minerals
F Tizayi, A Rupande, S Gonyora, C Munzanbwa, T Ruzive, B Mtuche, L Masveure,
L Nyakope, M Mambare, C Makambira, G Timoti (N Moyo 64).—@innocentskizoe
