Veterans Masimba Mambare and Lot Chiwunga scored in either half to compound ZPC Kariba’s woes in a lacklustre Castle Lager Premier Soccer League encounter at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE Black Rhinos…. (1) 2 ZPC Kariba……..(0) 0
The day started in an inauspicious manner for the Kariba side after they were charged by the PSL for failing to fulfil their opening fixture against FC Platinum at the National Sports Stadium last week.
FC Platinum were awarded the match by a 3-0 scoreline, while ZPC Kariba also have to pay $ 1 250 according to the PSL’s Standing Orders and Offences Fines Section 3, for deliberate failure to travel to a match venue.
Effectively playing their first match of the season yesterday, ZPC Kariba seemed a whole lot sluggish.
Mambare punished the visitors with a thumping header from a corner kick in the 21st minute to give Rhinos a deserved lead.
Save for Godknows Mangani’s volley that crashed onto the crossbar and bounced back into play late in the first half, ZPC Kariba never really bothered Herbert Rasawo in goals for Black Rhinos.
Chiwunga, guilty of missing a number of gilt-edged chances, swept home a square ball in the 65th minute, thus ending the match as a contest.
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“I would not want to dwell on the issue [of the FC Platinum game] who knows if we had played that match, maybe we were going to win or lose. I don’t want to work on assumptions. If they have been awarded points, then that’s FC Platinum, I don’t want to comment about that,” said ZPC Kariba coach Godfrey Tamirepi.
Black Rhinos coach Herbert Maruwa was happy with the result, having lost to Highlanders in the opening match last week.
“It was a good show from the boys, especially coming from a defeat in Bulawayo last week. The boys responded very well. As Rhinos, this season we need to compete in the league,” Maruwa said.
In an early fixture, Air Force of Zimbabwe side Chapungu collected their first win of the season, bouncing back from a goal down to beat Mutare City by three goals to two. Mutare City, using the National Sports Stadium as their homeground, took an early lead through a brilliantly taken free kick by Piniel Gumbu before Bruno Mtigo restored parity 11 minutes later.
Allan Tavarwisa gave the airmen the lead nine minutes before halftime, but Kelvin Bingala made sure the scores were level going into the break with a 40th minute equaliser.
Ian Nyoni then gave the airmen the three points with a well-taken goal in the 50th minute.
