Dembara blow lead . . . Nasama spoils it for former team . . . Mutasa bemoans dropped points

By Eddie Chikamhi

Dynamos .. . . . . . . . (0) 1

Chicken Inn . . . .. . . (0) 1

Dynamos juniors’ product King Nasama returned to haunt his former team yesterday when he grabbed a last-minute goal that denied the Harare giants maximum points in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tie on a cold afternoon characterised by showers at Rufaro yesterday.

Nasama — who has found a new haven at Chicken Inn after being deemed excess baggage — used his height to advantage when he rose high in the box to head home an excellent cross from enterprising Warriors left back Devine Lunga.

The 19-year-old broke DeMbare hearts when the Harare giants had thought they had the game in the bag and decided to slow down the proceedings as they defended in numbers for the last third of the match after Quality Kangadze had put them ahead soon after the interval.

But they could not keep the Gamecocks at bay until the final whistle and Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa felt it was two points dropped.

Mutasa was upset with the way his team conceded the goal after South Africa-bound Lunga, who was in top form yesterday, roasted his marker on the left and flighted in a delightful out-footer into a crowded box.

The ball appeared to catch the Dynamos defenders off guard as Nasama glided above everyone else and headed it downwards to beat goalkeeper Simba Chinani with the bounce.

Credit must however, go to Chicken Inn’s tireless industry and a share of the spoils was a fair result in the end.

The Gamecocks have proved to be DeMbare’s bogey side over the years and Mutasa was keen to revenge on the 0-1 defeat they suffered in the opening match of the 2018 campaign in Bulawayo.

But it took one of their own to quash those hopes.

“We lost our first encounter against Chicken Inn and we had thought today was payback time,” said Mutasa.

“We also thought we had prepared well for this one and to us this is two points lost. We allowed them to score from areas that we knew from day one of training that the danger will come from the wings and we allowed them to score from the wings, and it wasn’t good for us,” said Mutasa.

Both teams had a rather quiet first half and Kuda Kumwala headed over the bar from Dynamos’ first real chance from a corner kick by Valentine Kadonzvo, with 18 minutes played.

But a lapse in concentration between Blessing Moyo and Valentine Ndaba, who had a difficult game in the left back position where he filled in for the truant skipper Ocean Mushure, almost gifted the Gamecocks with a goal but Innocent Muchaneka’s cracking shot was punched out by goalkeeper Chinani.

Chinani, who is third in Dynamos’ pecking order, was impressive between the sticks with a number of crucial saves that kept the Harare giants in the game.

Kangadze broke the deadlock in the 48th minute when he controlled a ball through the middle and shook off his markers before unleashing a rising shot from close range that gave goalkeeper Pride Zendera no chance.

Kadonzvo had a great chance to double DeMbare’s lead shortly after that when he burst into the box from the left and decided to go for goal but he skied his effort when he also had an option to square the ball for his teammates who were better positioned.

Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas responded by bringing in veteran Clement Matawu, Obrey Chirinda and Nasama and the trio helped tilt the game back to the Gamecocks’ favour as DeMbare resorted to some archaic time-wasting antics which nevertheless came back to haunt them.

Dynamos keeper Chinani was forced to make two great saves to deny Chirinda and Darryl Nyandoro as Chicken Inn continued to press for an equaliser.

Nasama, a 73rd minute substitute, also came close when he curled the ball from the edge of the box but he narrowly missed the target.

But he got it right on the stroke of time with the crucial header, which left the visiting coach Joey Antipas relieved.

“At least we came back and got a point on the road but personally I wasn’t too happy with our performance because we should have done better.

“I thought we also struggled with our rhythm. The pitch wasn’t really up to scratch. It’s not an excuse but it’s a fact Rufaro is not the same pitch as it was before,” said Antipas.

The chorus of condemnation on the shoddy job done by the Harare City Council on the Rufaro turf following the removal of the artificial surface continues to grow and makes of with the pathetic state of the pitch making a mockery of the large sums which the municipal chiefs claim was invested on the works.

Teams:

Dynamos: S. Chinani, P. Dube, V. Ndaba (P. Makaha, 49th minute), M. Machazane, G. Mukambi, B. Moyo, G. Saunyama, V. Kadonzvo (E. Mandiranga, 69th minute), C. Kapupurika, Q. Kangadze (O. Mwerahari, 82nd minute), K. Kumwala

Chicken Inn: P. Zendera, P. Bernard, D. Lunga, M. Jackson, B. Nyahunzvi, S. Munawa, I. Mucheneka, X. Ndlovu (C. Matawu, 60th minute), G. Majika, D. Nyandoro (K. Nasama, 73rd minute), O. Tarumbwa (O. Chirinda, 52nd minute) The Herald