Harare City … 0 Dynamos … 0
BY MICHAEL MADYIRA
Dynamos wasted the chance to reclaim Premier Soccer League top spot after dropping two points in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Harare City at Rufaro.
While remaining unbeaten, the result was DeMbare’s second draw of the season which allowed Chicken Inn to shoot to the top of the log following a 1-0 victory over How Mine in Bulawayo. Now with 14 points, DeMbare are a point below Chicken Inn.
It was the second time for Dynamos and Harare City to share spoils since the latter’s maiden premiership campaign in 2012 with the other draw being a similar goalless affair in 2013. Yesterday’s match was however a dull meeting in which referee Arnold Ncube stole the limelight with questionable calls, overshadowing the contest itself.
Dynamos could feel hard done by Ncube who declined a penalty call in the first half as well as stopping a goal-bound Kelvin Bulaji in a move he should have given Dynamos play advantage after Dominic Chungwa had been fouled. But Glamour Boys coach David Mandigora refused to dwell on the officiating.
“I do not usually want to comment about referees. It is not proper for me to talk about the referee’s decisions,” said Mandigora.
“But a draw is not bad although we wanted the three points. I think the guys played well. Both teams created good chances and the game could have gone either way. I am happy we did not concede or lose but we did not get three points which is a bit disappointing. The team is used to winning. We are still working on the team to get to the stage we want. It takes time as it is a process building a solid team.”
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Following a 1-0 defeat to debutants Tsholotsho in their league opener, City have now gone unbeaten in five games but their run has been affected by three draws.
It was another vain toiling afternoon for coach Taurai Mangwiro, who has been struggling to beat Dynamos since his days at Monomotapa and CAPS united.
The former national Under-20 coach was left ruing chances squandered by his forwards. “Since we were playing at home, I wanted maximum points and when I look back at this match I still feel we failed to utilise some good opportunities,” said Mangwiro.
“In the last 15 minutes of the second half we came strongly and I believe it was during that moment we should have won it. The miss by Honey [Chimutiminzeve] right at the death of the match was supposed to be the defining moment. “At times you would be too much in a hurry. Honey’s chance was also a matter of being composed and slot the ball in. You do not go for power when there is no need for that. It is the small things like that which make the difference. You also saw Martin [Vengesai] coming close on the stroke of half time.”
Dynamos started the match as the better side with Simba Nhivi failing to beat Tafadzwa Dube after 15 minutes of play.
As Dynamos continued threatening, Ncube ignored a foul on Masimba Mambare by Munyaradzi Diro-Nyenye inside the box in what appeared to be a deserved penalty for Dynamos.
It had to take 32 minutes for City to launch their first meaningful raid of the match when Osborn Mukuradare and Tino Kadewere arrived in the box too fast to connect Talent Chawapihwa’s low cross from the left. Mangwiro’s side were now on equal footing with Dynamos and a minute before the break, Martin Vengesai could not do justice to a Kadewere feed which he shot narrowly off target.
Mukuradare could not turn into the nets Vengesai’s clean cross six minutes after the restart before Dynamos reclaimed dominance with substitute Dominic Chungwa shooting slightly off target on 72 minutes. The last 15 minutes of the match had some life and Kadewere missed the best chance of the afternoon on 90 minutes when he shot wide while facing an empty goal.
Kelvin Bulaji and Chungwa forced desperate saves from Dube in extra time.
