The Sunday News
Paul Mundandi in Zvishavane
FC Platinum……………………………….. (3) 4
Buffaloes……………………………………. (1)1
FC Platinum displayed one of their best performances this season when they handed new Buffaloes coach Saul Chaminuka a rude awakening in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Mandava Stadium yesterday.
The victory did little justice to a great performance which could have seen the miners winning by a huge margin.
Wellington Kamudyariwa had a good day in office when he scored a brace and it was one of his best games.
The former Shabanie Mine midfielder opened the floodgates in the 18th minute following a goalmouth melee when he drove a stinger that found its mark on the top right corner of the nets and Blessing Mwandimutsira only managed to collect the ball from the back of the nets.
He then returned to haunt the soldiers in the 60th minute. A good exchange involving hard running Brian Muzondiwa on the left saw Tarisai Rukanda and Obrey Chirwa exchange passes before he unselfishly laid the ball to Kamudyariwa whose shot went beyond the reach of Mwandimutsira.
Former Dynamos son Gift Bello was also on cloud nine when he found the nets. A well taken corner kick from the right by Raphael Muduviwa saw Bello out jumping the Buffaloes defence and his firm header sailed past the hapless goal minder in the 28th minute.
Rukanda who seems to be blossoming under coach Norman Mapeza scored two minutes later. The stocky striker who scored the equaliser in DRC in a friendly match against TP Mazembe met a Muduviwa corner kick with a header when he caught the visitors defence napping.
Earlier on the visitors seemed to have got it right when they equalised through Jacob Muzokamba in the 21st minute when he caught the hosts defence relaxed. He reacted to a pass from Vincent Makaha and his blistering shot was too hot to handle for captain Petros Mhari.
It was a squad that was missing an injured Thabani Kamusoko, the duo of Walter Musona and Wisdom Mutasa who went to Europe for trials.
Also absent was Donald Ngoma who is undergoing medicals in Tanzania as he is looking forward to join the East Africa champions Young Africans.
“I am excited by the victory, one of our biggest this season. We are improving. Very few people gave us a chance when we went to play TP Mazembe in DRC last weekend but it was a good motivation for us.
“I am happy that the guys are playing well as a team and everyone is working hard and I give them credit. We need to be consistent. I, however, wanted more goals but they will help us at the end of the season. For the past three season Dynamos has been winning on goal aggregate.
“We are now the second highest scoring team in the league. We are not going to seat on our back but we are going to keep working hard,” said an elated FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza after the match.
Chaminuka praised FC Platinum.
“Platinum played better and scored goals. We defended badly and they got advantage from the referee. I feel their defender should have been red carded. I think the referee has allegiance to Platinum,” he said.
“We made a lot of mistakes and in my first game I saw a lot of things that are in the wrong. My players are not very fit but after three or four weeks we are going to get it right.’’
FC Platinum Mhari, R Muduviwa(W Mhango 39 minutes ),G Bello, I Nekati, R Sibanda, S Shoko, A Gahadzikwa, W Kamudyariwa(T Dzumbunu 78t minutes), B Muzondiwa(N Papias86th ), O Chirwa, T Rukanda
Buffaloes: B Mwandimutsira, K Mwaramba(P Thembani 46 minutes ),F Banda, P Chandisaita, J Jambo, H Madzivanyika(J Takunda 29 minutes ), S Nkata, L Katongomara, V Makaha, J Muzokomba
