HERENTALS College produced a stunning away victory at Baobab Stadium yesterday, dumping hosts Ngezi Platinum Stars out of the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup and booking their place in the quarter-finals of the lucrative competition.
The Students avenged their two league defeats to Ngezi Platinum this season in emphatic fashion, scoring three second-half goals through captain Ralph Kawondera, Erick Dombo and substitute Lot Chiwunga to seal a 3-1 victory.
The result means Ngezi’s hopes of winning either of the two major knockout competitions this season have now gone up in smoke, after they were also eliminated from the Chibuku Super Cup at home.
Ngezi dominated possession in the opening half and controlled most of the early exchanges, but struggled to find the decisive final pass. Herentals, however, looked more threatening whenever they broke forward, creating the better of the chances.
Kawondera came close midway through the first half when he headed straight at Ngezi goalkeeper Marion Chang from an inch-perfect cross from the left. Just before the half-hour mark, Prince Chama forced Chang into a smart save, attempting to curl the ball into the far corner from an angle. [
Herentals finally broke the deadlock ten minutes after the restart when Kawondera latched onto a through-ball, rounded the advancing Chang, and calmly slotted into an empty net. Ngezi responded in the 63rd minute through Marvellous Mukumba, who pounced on a loose ball after Farai Madhanaga’s initial effort was blocked, before firing into the roof of the net.
However, the hosts’ relief was short-lived. Dombo restored Herentals’ advantage with a well-taken finish ten minutes from full-time, although his celebration proved costly. The Herentals midfielder removed his shirt while already on a yellow card and was promptly shown a second yellow, leaving the visitors to negotiate the closing stages with ten men.
They handled the pressure well, putting the result beyond doubt when substitute Chiwunga showed composure to beat Chang just before full-time, completing a memorable victory.
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The defeat left the Ngezi coach, Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva, deeply disappointed, particularly after his side suffered another cup exit at home.
“Yeah, quite disappointing. As a coach and as a team, you always want to progress to the finals,” Mutiwekuziva said.
“This is one of the most lucrative cups in the league at the moment. You would love to go all the way to the finals, but we couldn’t.
“And also looking at the fact that we are also out of the Chibuku Super Cup, here again at home. This is where we are not doing enough to protect the fortress of our home.
“Now that we have lost two cup games at home, actually it’s quite disappointing.”
The Herentals coach, Paul Benza, meanwhile, was delighted to finally get one over Ngezi, having lost both league meetings this season.
“I think the last two games that we lost against them this season, it was more about us missing those chances,’ Benza said.
“And I’m very happy because today we managed to convert the chances and score three goals away. I think it gives the boys confidence going forward.
“We’re going to take one game as it comes. We’re going to concentrate when the next game comes. Unfortunately, we do not know the opponent that we’re going to play.
“But for us, we do not have any pressure. I’m very happy because the boys are showing that they are able to deliver any day.
“So I have confidence going forward that we’re able to take those chances and get to the final.”
