BY FORTUNE MBELE
Bulawayo Chiefs… (2) 3 Chicken Inn……….. (0) 1 BULAWAYO Chiefs dented Chicken Inn’s title hopes and eased their relegation woes when they clobbered the out-of-sorts Gamecocks in a league match at Luveve Stadium yesterday.
A brace from Kundishora Chakanyuka, who scored a goal in either half and another strike from Arthur Musiyiwa was all Chiefs needed to take their points tally to 38 and move out of the relegation zone.
Chicken Inn remain on 52 points before their last two games against other relegation fighters Herentals and TelOne. Their title rivals and log-leaders Caps United, who are on 55 points take on Dynamos in the big Harare derby today while FC Platinum, also on 52 points are away to Chapungu in the Midlands derby.
Chiefs broke the deadlock 16 minutes into the game through Musiyiwa, who beat Pride Zendera on the near post with a grounder just after the goalkeeper had made a save from Farau Matare.
Four minutes before the break, Matare dispossessed Chicken Inn defender Liberty Chakoroma on the left before setting up Shadreck Nyahwa whose shot was saved by Zendera.
Two minutes later, Chicken Inn bombarded Chiefs in search of an equaliser and against the run of play on a counter-attack Kundishora Chakanyuka put the home team two up, beating Zendera from inside the penalty box.
Kundishora was on target again two minutes after the breather capitalising on another gaffe by Chakoroma, who miscommunicated with Zendera and they both missed the ball. The veteran Chiefs’ striker easily tapped in the ball.
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Chicken Inn got their consolation through Obriel Chirinda in the 68th minute.
Chicken Inn gaffer Joey Antipas said they did not show character in yesterday’s game and their quest for the title now lies in the other teams’ results.
“Big congratulations to Chiefs; they played very well. They were hungrier than us and they deserved to win. Our defending was very poor, especially in central defence and Chiefs took advantage of that. All the best to Chiefs in their quest to survive. For us; all we have to do is to live in hope because today we should have showed character but Chiefs did not allow us. If the results (Caps and FC Platinum) go the other way then we are done. “There is God above; we just believe in that and live in hope,” Antipas said.
His counterpart Thulani Sibanda said they have to continue with yesterday’s performance to the end to survive the chop.
“It was a tough game but we need to thank the boys for the character they showed. Managing to score three goals against Chicken Inn was a big feat. If you look at where we were from the start of the season, we have been fighting relegation. We just have to consolidate this,” Sibanda said.
Teams Bulawayo Chiefs: D Bizabani, B Mpofu, Isaac Badu, M Mkolo, S Dube, D Nyahwa, S Mhlanga, L Ndlela, F Matare, K Chakanyuka (H Chikosa 60′), A Musiyiwa (D Shumbanhete 81′) Chicken Inn: P Zendera, P Bernard, X Ndlovu, L Chakoroma, M Jackson, T Chipunza, G Majika, J Nyabinde (C Matawu 46′), P Chirinda, I Mucheneka (S Ndlovu 61′), M Gaki (V Kadonzvo 54′) Results and fixtures Yesterday: Bulawayo Chiefs 3-1 Chicken Inn, Harare City 0-2 Yadah Today: Black Rhinos v Ngezi Platinum (Rufaro), CAPS v Dynamos (NSS), Mushowani v TelOne (Trojan Mine), Hwange v Herentals (Colliery), Triangle v ZPC Kariba (Gibbo), Highlanders v Manica (BF), Chapungu v FC Platinum (Ascot)
