FC Platinum, Highlanders draw

By Paul Mundandi in Zvishavane

FC Platinum ………………………………………….… (1) 2
Highlanders ………………………………………….… (1) 2

HIGHLANDERS fought relentlessly to salvage a point when they came from a goal down to draw with10-man FC Platinum in a four-goal Castle Lager Premier Soccer League thriller here yesterday.

Rusape-based and reigning Referee of the Year Brighton Chimene showed Kelvin Moyo a red card in the 69th minute after the defender had brought down livewire Knox Mutizwa who was well positioned for a kill.

Mutizwa gave himself the responsibility from the resultant spot kick as he duly sent Petros Mhari, in goals for the home side, the wrong way in the 70th minute.

Rather sadly, the goal was met by missiles thrown by the lunatic fringe among the FC Platinum family, who apparently felt hard done by the penalty.

Bosso were then on the receiving end when first assistant referee Edgar Rumeck denied them what was a legitimate Mutizwa goal on the stroke of full time.

The slippery Mutizwa had weaved his way past an opposition defender on the left before placing the ball past Mhari.

The assistant referee first signalled a goal before he lifted his flag up and this could have caused the commotion at the end of the match.

However, from the Press vintage it looked like Mutizwa had pushed Gift Bello off the ball resulting in the defender falling.

The game degenerated into a missile throwing affair from opposing fans. The mayhem, after the final whistle, left a number of Bosso fans injured.

Before the match, this reporter was barred from entering the stadium by the police with orders from Joseph Mususa and at one point the police had to come twice in the pitch in an attempt to arrest this reporter for an unknown crime.

FC Platinum had gone into the lead through Kamusoko.

Winston Mhango, the former Hwange midfielder, controlled the ball and unselfishly laid it to the unmarked Kamusoko, who obliged with a right footer that Ariel Sibanda never saw.

Bosso could have immediately equalised through Mutizwa.

Veteran Obadiah Tarumbwa won possession deep in the hosts’ half and sent a defence splitting pass which was met by the right boot of Mutizwa but the right upright post proved an obstacle.

Walter Musona, the FC Platinum leading goal scorer, missed a sitter in the 26th minute.

Donald Ngoma could have increased the home side’s lead in the 31st minute when he met a cross from Wellington Kamudyariwa but his header missed the target by inches.

Tarumbwa equalised for the visitors in a dramatic fashion. Webster Chingodza overlapped from the right and sent a cross which Tarumbwa coolly controlled in the 41st minute.

Highlanders coach Bongani Mafu was a relieved man after the match and praised his charges for showing character.

“We should have won the match but we failed to hold on. I need my players to be mature so that they hold to the end. The game finished 2-all although I failed to see the offence that Mutizwa had committed before scoring. My players showed character.

“When we play football no one can touch us and I was happy with the performance of my team,” said an ecstatic Mafu.

“I give credit to the boys for showing character. We had better exchanges in the first half. We were a better team by far. I do not put blame on my players. Everyone worked hard and our target is to collect 25 points in the first half of the season,” said Norman Mapeza.

Teams

FC Platinum: P Mhari, R Muduviwa, G Bello, K Moyo, R Sibanda, T Kamusoko, W Kamudyariwa (I Nekati 71st), W Mhango (S Shoko 58th), W Musona, D Ngoma, B Muzondiwa (A Gahadzikwa 55th).

Highlanders: A Sibanda, W Chingodza, S Munawa, R Kutsanzira (D Sibanda 85th), E Muzanenhamo, O Tarumbwa, B Kangwa, K Mutizwa, F Chidungwe (K Nadolo 36th), H Moyo, E Mudzingwa. The Sunday News