Ngezi Platinum Stars . . . (3) 5
Kwekwe United . . . . . . . (0) 2
There's a new swagger about Ngezi Platinum Stars.
After a season marked by moments of dominance but often lacking the cutting edge, the Takesure Chiragwi coached side seem to have found their scoring boots, and leading the charge is the red-hot Obriel Chirinda.
His back-to-back brace against relegation strugglers Kwekwe United yesterday in a seven goal thriller at Baobab Stadium was not just about three points.
It was a statement of intent.
For weeks, Chiragwi has been preaching the gospel of efficiency in front of goal.
His side, often stifling opponents and controlling possession, sometimes lacked that final, decisive touch.
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But in the past two games, it had been goals galore.
They racked in five yesterday, but in all honesty, it could have been nine or 10, a rarity for a team that, despite its quality, had not scored more than three goals before last week when they ended MWOS' unbeaten run with a 3-1 win.
Qadr Amini began the goal spree with his two quick-fire goals, including a coolly converted penalty in the 42nd minute, setting the tone.
Before the celebrations had even died down, Chirinda, already a hero from last week's win over MWOS, demonstrated his predatory instinct, slotting home in the 45th minute.
It was a whirlwind end to the first half, with Ngezi Platinum Stars taking a commanding three goal lead into the break.
The second half started much the same, with young Ashwin Karengesha, another name from last week's scoresheet, extending the lead.
It was all one-way traffic, a clinical display of attacking football that had the home fans in raptures.
But football, as they say, is a game of two halves, and often, moments of complacency.
A brief lapse in concentration at the back allowed Kwekwe United's Genesis Munashe to pull two goals back within seven minutes, briefly sending a shiver through the Ngezi faithful. Munashe's quick double on the 53rd minute and moments later, threatened to turn a rout into a nail-biter.
Yet, there was no panic. Chirinda stepped forward again to calm the nerves. His 82nd-minute strike not only completed his brace but also reaffirmed Ngezi's dominance, taking his season tally to five goals. This consistency in front of goal is precisely what Chiragwi has been yearning for.
The victory sees Ngezi Platinum Stars climb to fourth place on the log with 28 points, eight behind leaders Simba Bhora. With 16 rounds of matches still to play, the gap feels surmountable, especially if this attacking verve continues.
For Kwekwe United, however, the story remains bleak.
This was their fourth consecutive defeat, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the log with a paltry 8 points from 18 matches. Their assistant coach, Gift Muzadzi, lamented the slow start but found solace in his team's fighting spirit. "We started badly... you could see in the second half we pushed but it was too late," the former Dynamos goalkeeper admitted. "I want to give credit to the boys, the fighting spirit was there because they kept on going even when we were 4-0 down. They scored twice, and with a bit of luck, we could have scored a third one. With this kind of mentality, these boys will go far."
Chiragwi, while pleased with the goal haul, still sees room for improvement, particularly in defence. "I think we have rectified those mistakes and in football, you always need time in everything that you do. So we are happy, unfortunately we conceded two soft goals," he said.
"Not good enough to concede such goals. But that's how it is. We just need to appreciate and thank God for good results. What is important is to make sure we have consistency in winning. We need to concentrate on that."
With Chirinda in blistering form and the team finally translating dominance into goals, Madamburo might just be hitting their stride at the perfect time to launch a serious title challenge.
Results
ZPC Kariba 0-0 Dynamos
FC Platinum 1-1 Simba Bhora
Ngezi Platinum 5-2 Kwekwe United
TelOne 0-0 Herentals
Yadah 1-0 Manica Diamonds Bikita Minerals 1-0 Chicken Inn
