BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
Dynamos ……… (0)2 Mushowani …(0) 0
IT does not matter anymore that the overall performance was a lacklustre one; Harare giants Dynamos ensured a happy start to the season with an efficient performance against premier league debutants Mushowani at Rufaro Stadium yesterday.
Congolese striker Ngandu Mangala signalled his arrival in the local top-flight league with a well-taken brace on his Dynamos debut.
Mangala is one of the many foreigners who targeted DeMbare during the off-season and actually managed to impress coach Lloyd Chigowe.
In all earnest, the scoreline is rather harsh on newcomers Mushowani who, save for the first few minutes, never showed that they were overawed by the stage.
In fact, for the entire first half it looked like Dynamos were the newcomers and Mushowani, were seasoned top-flight league campaigners.
The only difference between the two teams yesterday was Mangala who scored identical goals late into the match, finding the top corner on either side of the goal.
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Mangala opened the scoring 15 minutes from time, gathering the ball from impressive second half substitute Try Andre Moffat to rifle home into the top right hand corner from the edge of the box.
The striker returned to haunt Mushowani, ironically the home team, in the 86th minute riding a couple of tackles in the box and with a rising shot on the turn found the top left corner.
“Mangala is a talent, he is unpredictable, and you don’t know what he is going to do next. Today he took responsibility and led the team in the absence of Edward Sadomba so its hats off to him,” said Dynamos coach Lloyd Chigowe.
Chigowe admitted that the performance was not what the doctor ordered, but was happy with the three points.
“Three points is always good to be in the bag and obviously there is still a lot of work to be done. The performance was not up to scratch but the three points are vital,” he said.
“Given that we were missing three of our key players, Sadomba out injured and the two Cameroonians who were supposed to start, still we managed to put out a good side. I think we have got the depth but we need to put our foot on the ground and continue to work hard.
Immediately after the starting whistle it looked like Dynamos were going to run riot and give the premier debutants a baptism of fire.
A big chance fell on stand-in captain Jimmy Tigere in the box earlier on following a corner kick and his tame effort was cleared off the line by Mushowani.
The Dynamos fans went wild, but then all this was in the first five minutes. From there onwards, it was Mushowani.
They passed the ball around with confidence and created chance after chance while Dynamos chased shadows.
Halfway through the first half, Mushowani had successive opportunities through Savare Sunny and Paul Charamba, but DeMbare goalkeeper Simbarashe Chinani was alert on both occasions.
Second half Dynamos substitute Moffat changed the complexion of the game, coming on two minutes after the restart.
Mangala then finished Moffat’s good work to break the deadlock in the 75th minute.
Tigere almost gifted Mushowani an equaliser three minutes later when he was despossessed in the box. Chinani was at his elastic best to push Kumbirai Kapikinyu’s shot round the corner.
Mangala put the final nail on the coffin four minutes from time.
“I think we lost the match because of lack of concentration at the end of the game. I think my boys showed some character and I am happy with their performance,” Mushowani coach Newman Mashipe said after the game.
PSL Week One fixtures and results:
Yesterday: Black Rhinos 1-1 Highlanders, Chicken Inn 3-1 ZPC Kariba, Mushowani Stars 0-2 Dynamos, Chapungu 5-0 Bulawayo Chiefs
Today: CAPS United vs Manica Diamonds (National Sports Stadium) Triangle vs Ngezi Platinum Stars (Gibbo), Hwange vs Yadah FC (Colliery), Herentals v TelOne (Rufaro).
