Dynamos......................(0)1
Ngezi Platinum Stars...(1)1
In a high-octane drama at Rufaro Stadium, ten-man Ngezi Platinum Stars managed to hold the mighty Dynamos to a gritty 1-1 draw.
While the stalemate felt like a missed opportunity for the Harare giants, that single, precious point was a golden ticket—enough to finally see DeMbare clamber out of the dreaded relegation zone.
The football gods smiled on Dynamos yesterday. While they were battling the 'Madamburo' machine, fortune elsewhere delivered the results they desperately needed.
Bikita Minerals stumbled to a 2-0 defeat, and Triangle United played a toothless goalless draw. When the dust settled, Dynamos (33 points) slipped into a safer spot, with their superior goal difference acting as the ultimate tie-breaker to lift them clear of the bottom four.
The action on the pitch was anything, but dull. Ngezi Platinum Stars drew first blood after a lively opening, with Talent Chamboko netting a brilliant goal just 10 minutes in, putting the visitors firmly in the driving seat.
However, the equalising goal for Dynamos 10 minutes before the break was a moment of absolute, head-scratching pandemonium.
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In a desperate attempt to clear the ball, Ngezi’s Brooklyn Katumba executed a spectacular, inadvertent own goal, lobbing the ball with exquisite precision over his own stranded goalkeeper.
The net had barely rippled before pandemonium erupted. Referee Lawrence Zimondi had seemingly blown his whistle for an earlier foul, but the assistant referee signalled for a goal.
The centre referee eventually upheld the goal, igniting volcanic protests from the Ngezi bench.
The resulting fury saw Madamburo's youthful coach, Takesure Chiragwi, shown a red card. In an unsavoury sideline scene, the visibly incensed coach was then involved in a heated altercation with one of his own players, McDonald Makuwe.
Adding to Ngezi’s woes, midfielder Leslie Kashitigu was sent off moments later for denying a Dynamos player a clear goal scoring opportunity, leaving the visitors to face the entire second half with just 10 men.
Despite introducing veteran Denver Mukamba to exploit their one man-advantage, DeMbare couldn't turn the tide.
Ngezi Platinum, fighting with the tenacity of cornered lions, held firm for the draw.
While they showed immense heart, the point essentially killed their title dream, leaving them eight points behind the log leaders with only 12 points left to play for.
Dynamos coach Kaindu was pragmatic, if not frustrated.
"A point is better than nothing. We would have hoped for maximum points... but Ngezi were tactically and technically better than us today," Kaindu admitted, acknowledging the challenge of facing a short-handed but determined opponent.
A contrite Chiragwi, the man at the centre of the earlier storm, was reflective on his sending-off.
"It was a difficult game, a difficult day for us in terms of the mental strength, and the emotions, which are always there in football,” he said.
“But we are happy that God gave us strength to fight against all odds to earn a point."
While Dynamos has escaped the immediate danger, the performance left fans wondering if a draw—even one that lifted them out of relegation—was truly "ideal" for a club of their pedigree.
Results
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MWOS 1-0 Greenfuel
Manica Diamonds 0-0 Triangle United
