Hwange, CAPS United share spoils

From Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange

Hwange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(1)1

CAPS United . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)1

HWANGE will for a very long time come curse their lack of precision in front of goal as big CAPS United striker Tawanda Nyamandwe rescued his team from the jaws of defeat with a goal two minutes from the end in this Castle Lager Premier League soccer match played before a capacity crowd at the Colliery yesterday. 

Matches are won by scoring goals. If Hwange had utilised over a dozen chances that came their way, especially in the opening half when CAPS United were clearly missing in action, they could have avoided the agony of conceding a very late goal from a defensive blunder.

While Nyamandwe saved the vocal green and white army from embarrassment, credit should be given to the two substitutes, Malawian import Gerald Phiri and Benson Maglasi whose introduction ensured the Green Machine regained its efficiency in the last 20 minutes.

Phiri replaced David Rediyoni in the 62nd minute while Maglasi came in for Rahman Kutsanzira in the 57th minute.

Hwange’s miserable script of missed chances started as early as the second minute when Gilbert Zulu’s effort, off an impressive Tafara Chese cross, cannoned off the crossbar with goalkeeper Jorum Muchamo beaten clean.

In the 5th minute it was anchorman Andrew Tshuma’s turn to miss a golden opportunity when he completely missed the ball in the box after the visitors’ rearguard had failed to clear a corner from Chese.

CAPS’ first real chance in the game only came in the 12th minute from a set-piece but Thapuwa Khumbuyani’s scorching free-kick from the edge of the box found goalkeeper Timothy Sibanda alert.

The coalminers had missed two other gilt-edged chances through Evans Rusike and Isaac Masame before Gilbert Zulu put them ahead in the 18th minute when he headed past Muchambo during a goalmouth melee.

In a swift response, Makepepe’s duo of Redhiyoni and Kutsanzira combined well deep in the Hwange area before the latter sent in a delicate cross for Nyamandwe whose header just sailed over the crossbar with the CAPS bench already celebrating a goal.

Hwange continued to keep CAPS on the back foot and in the 35th minute Rusike again proved his lack of luck in front of goal when he turned defender Steven Makatuka inside out at the edge of the box and faced the goalkeeper but again his effort at goal was disappointing.

The first 20 minutes of the last half was a big yawn up to the 66th minute when Hwange captain Gerald Ndlovu’s dipping free-kick grazed some paint off the crossbar to rouse the home side’s supporters back to life.

Then came CAPS United’s best moments in the last 20 minutes when their two substitutes combined well to launch raid after raid into the Hwange box.

The pressure almost paid off in the 73rd minute when Nyamandwe banged home from close range after a connecting a Maglasi cross but his effort was a disallowed by the referee Hardley Ndazi for a push on defender Tawanda Chando.

Young Chando had a good afternoon in the heart of the home side’s defence in place of injured and dependable defender David Boriwondo.

Ten minutes from the end CAPS got their best chance of the afternoon when Maglasi used his fancy footwork to rove into the Hwange box but he shocked everyone by sending his effort over the bar from a few metres out.

The visitors continued to pin Hwange in their own half and three minutes from the end there was no denying this time for Nyamandwe as he spoiled the party for Nation Dube’s boys with a scrambled goal from close range after the Hwange defence failed to clear a simple ball.

It was such a cruel end for the coalminers who desperately needed three points to breathe life into their campaign. Coach Dube, with voice hoarse from barking instructions from the bench, was at pains at the end of the game as he lamented the chances missed by his lads.

“It is very painful to end up with a draw when we were supposed to wrap up the game, especially in the first half. The chances were too many and to add to the pain, one mistake cost us maximum points and we want to work on that in our next game,” he said.

His opposite number Taurai Mangwiro said he had come to Hwange for maximum points.

“We had come here for full points but it was not to be. We could have wrapped up the game in the second half but such is football. We had a slow start and I should admit that we survived some scary moments in the first half,” he said before going to congratulate his boys.

Teams

Hwange: T Sibanda; M Mpofu; P Mpelele; G Ndlovu; T Chando; A Tshuma; I Masame; N Siwela(P Dube 75th min); T Chese(M Longwe 84th min); E Rusike; G Zulu.

CAPS United: J Muchambo; T Khumbuyani; S Makatuka; T Munyanduri; M Muchenje; T Samanja; D Redhiyoni(G Phiri 62nd min); R Pfumbidzai; D Chungwa; R Kutsanzira(B Maglasi 57th min); T Nyamandwe. The Herald