The Sunday News
Langton Nyakwenda
ZPC Kariba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
A LAST gasp equaliser from late substitute Tsepo Rantokoane salvaged a point for ZPC Kariba who began life without the suspended coach Saul Chaminuka at Gwanzura Stadium in Harare yesterday.
Rantokoane bundled the ball home from close range in the 91st minute after some fine work by left back Dexter Phiri to cancel out a 71st minute Chicken Inn goal that was scored by another second half substitute Clemence Matawu.
The draw opened a three point gap at the top for Chicken Inn who have now accumulated 20 points in nine matches.
Triangle, who host stubborn newcomers Whawha at Gibbo Stadium this afternoon, are second while ZPC Kariba are on ninth with 11 points.
ZPC Kariba will feel they were robbed of a victory by referee Nomore Musundire who denied them what looked like a clear penalty in the 58th minute when Philip Makanje was felled by Canaan Nkomo.
Musundire, who was nowhere near the action, adjudged that the lanky Makanje was fouled outside the box and the resultant free kick was blocked by the wall.
The visitors also had their chances, twice hitting the cross bar in the first half through player of the moment Edmore Chirambadare and a minute after the restart from the boot of George Majika.
Influential defensive linkman and skipper Danny “Deco” Phiri thought he had won the match for the Gamecocks with the last kick of the day but his pile driver was punched away by former teammate Liberty Chirava.
“It is a crucial point, last minute goals happen in soccer. It was a lapse in concentration but I have to give credit to my boys,” said Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas.
Team manager Paul “Popopo” Chimalizeni and the unheralded Onias Matava were in charge of ZPC Kariba who played probably their last game using Gwanzura as their home following reports that Nyamhunga Stadium in Kariba has been approved by the Premier Soccer League Grounds Committee.
“The boys showed a remarkable fighting spirit. It was good to get a point against the log leaders especially in our first match without our head coach Chaminuka,” said Chimalizeni.
Nyamhunga’s approval should be good news for the Kariba community.
“Council is happy to announce that the inspection team from Zifa and PSL has approved use of Nyamhunga Stadium for premier league matches. The next ZPC FC home matches will be played at Nyamhunga Stadium,” the Kariba Town Council posted on its official website yesterday morning.
PSL chairman Twine Phiri, however, could not confirm the development although he agreed that progress had been made at the newly built stadium.
“An official announcement will be made next week (this week) but I can tell you there has been massive progress at Nyamhunga,” said Phiri yesterday morning.
Former ZPC Kariba coach Jostein Mathuthu Mambo, who won promotion for the electricity generators at the end of the 2013 and has been linked with a return, was also at Gwanzura yesterday further fuelling speculation that he is being lined up to take over from Chaminuka.
History making former Warriors coach Sunday Chidzambwa has also been linked with the ZPC Kariba job but his manager Gibson Mahachi, who was at Gwanzura yesterday, dismissed the reports.
“At the present moment there has been no official contact with ZPC Kariba. Those are just rumours,” said Mahachi.
Teams
ZPC Kariba: L Chirava, S Sheshe, D Phiri, T Magorimbo, D Dauda, G Magariro, P Makanje, P Tafirenyika, D Chakupe (T Rantokoane 69 minutes), A. Nyamiwa (T Nyamandwe 56 minutes), R Manuvire (N. Mkwezaramba 85 minutes)
Chicken Inn: E Chipezeze, M Jackson, C Nkomo (T Goredema 81 minutes), D Lunga, D Phiri, M Katsvairo (D Temwanjira 75 minutes), P Bernard, E Chirambadare, T Kutinyu, L Mhlanga, G Majika (C Matawu 64 minutes)
