The Sunday News
Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter
Chicken Inn (3)………………………………………3
Mushowani Stars (1) ………………………………1
JUDGING by yesterday’s result, there is more to Chicken In than Clive Augusto.
This is not a team powered by an individual with a knack of scoring goals almost in every game but a mean machine assembled by a genius called Joey Antipas.
Yesterday, in their 3-1 home win over Castle Lager Premier Soccer League newbies, Mushowani Stars at Luveve Stadium, Augusto, scorer of a brace, Sipho Ndlovu, a player who got the other goal, enterprising Malvin Gaki, substitute Obreil Chirinda, Innocent Muchaneka and Tichaona Chipunza all had five star performances.
It was a game in which Augusto took his goal tally to 13 from 13 games. He scored Gamecock’s first goal of the match in the 17th minute when he converted a penalty.
The hosts were awarded the penalty after Clive Dzingayi was adjudged to have handled an inviting Gaki cross.
In the 32nd minute, Ndlovu made it two for Antipas’ charges after perfectly heading home a Passmore Bernard cross.
Seven minutes later, Augusto completed his brace after Gaki’s well taken effort towards goal was blocked and fell onto his path for him to easily make it three for the Moses Jackson captained side.
Six minutes after the breather, referee of the afternoon, Happy Mabhena awarded Chicken Inn a second spot kick and up-stepped Augusto and he watched in disbelief when his effort went over the crossbar with Admire Masuku, who was between the sticks for the visitors, a beaten man.
Stars pulled a goal back in the 89th minute courtesy of a well taken volley by exciting dreadlocked striker Evans Katema.
“We were very much explosive in the first half.
We played with a good tempo but in the second half we took our foot off the pedal. We should learn to play well for the entire 90 minutes. We should also give credit to Mushowani for not giving up,” said Antipas who side remains on position two with 29 points, one behind FC Platinum who edged Manica Diamonds 1-0.
Mushowani Stars head coach Newman Mashipe reckoned poor preparations saw them lose the match.
“It’s very disappointing that we lost. We lost the game in the first half and I must say we didn’t adequately prepare for the match.
We travelled late and we did not even know that the game kick-off time was 2pm.
Our players did not have a proper warm up and lost to a side that we gave too much space and respect,” said Mashipe.
Teams
Chicken Inn
D Bernand, X Ndlovu, M Jackson, L Chakoroma, T Chipunza, S Ndlovu (B Amidu 86th min), M Gaki (V Kadonzvo 62nd), C Matawu (O Chirinda 55th min), C Augusto
Mushowani Stars
A Masuku, C Nyakope, S Sunny, G Bvundura (T Joseph 55th min), M Doley, W Tafa, C Dzingayi, K Kapikinyu (C Muvuti), L Matawu (T Mutyambizi 55min), S Chikwerengwe, E Katema
