Ngezi Platinum (1) 2 FC Platinum (0) 1
Ngezi Platinum Stars inflicted the first defeat of the season on fellow miners FC Platinum to end a four match winless run in an intriguing Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Boabab Stadium in Mhondoro yesterday.
BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE IN NGEZI
The odds were heavily stacked against the hosts after they failed to beat Chapungu and lowly Bantu Rovers in their last two home matches.
Worse still, they were missing six key players due to injury with the other two on assignment with the national team.
But goals in each half by Donald Teguru and Tatenda Mchisa were enough to hand Ngezi their first ever win over their Zvishavane counterparts in the league.
FC Platinum got the consolation goal from substitute Brett Amidu.
“It was a difficult match. The build up to the match was not good for us after going four games without a win,” hosts’ coach Tonderai Ndiraya said after the match.
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“I am happy with the performance of the team. We knew we were playing a good side. They dominated play but we had no problem with them having possession, we had our own plan and it worked.”
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza who is Ndiraya’s senior in the Warriors technical set-up was humble in defeat.
“We knew one day we were going to lose and it happened here today. We do not have to give up; we just need to keep working hard and try to rectify the problems we had today,” he said.
Donald Teguru broke the deadlock in the 20th minute when his shot ricocheted off a defender and looped over Petros Mhara into the back of the net.
Mapeza was forced to substitute an ineffective Marshall Mudehwe for Ishmael Wadi a minute before halftime.
FC Platinum could have restored parity on the stroke of halftime but Gift Mbweti shot straight into the safe hands of Nelson Chadya in goals for Ngezi.
The hosts needed just seven minutes to double their lead. Mchisa produced an emphatic header after meeting Tichaona Mabvura’s swinging cross.
That was Mchisa’s final contribution as he was substituted two minutes later, injured.
Former Dynamos midfielder Amidu scored for the Zvishavane outfit with only his second touch of the game in the 73th minute.
He latched on to a loose ball at the edge of the box and fired into the bottom corner of Chadya’s goal.
The goal spurred on the visitors setting up a frantic finish to the match. And Ngezi did enough to see out the encounter.
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Matchday 16 Results & Fixtures:
Today: (All matches kickoff at 3pm) – Highlanders v Yadah FC (Barbourfields), Shabanie Mine v How Mine (Maglas), Harare City v Hwange (Morris), Bulawayo City v Caps United (Postponed)
Today: Tsholotsho 2-2 Triangle United, Ngezi Platinum 2-1 FC Platinum, Chapungu 2-0 Chicken Inn, ZPC Kariba 1-1 Black Rhinos
Friday: Dynamos 2-0 Bantu Rovers
