The Sunday Mail
Harare City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Dynamos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
STALEMATE . . . Harare City midfielder Talent Chawapihwa shoots at goal under the challenge of Dynamos defender Sydney Linyama. — Pic Lee Maidza
DYNAMOS fired blanks for the first time this season as they failed to capitalise on Triangle’s defeat and shoot to the top of the Castle Premier Soccer League table.
The champions played out a goalless draw with Harare City at Rufaro yesterday.
The lesser version of the Harare Derby was full value for the hype that preceded it with both sides showing intent and ambition – but coming just short where it mattered most. Harare City coach Taurai Mangwiro, who started the season with a moral dampening defeat to debutants Tsholotsho FC, was a happy man after watching his side avoid defeat for a fifth match on the bounce.
“I have always felt the team will continue getting better as the season progresses. The defeat in our first match against Tsholotsho had put us in the spotlight but I am happy we are slowly stabilising.
“We wanted maximum points today because if you look back you can see there are a number of chances we could have buried but we failed to.
“But again by the same token we also survived a few scary moments as well,” said Mangwiro. His opposite number David Mandigora was content with the draw. “The team is yet to get to where we want it to be, we are still working on a number of grey areas in our game but then it’s a process and it takes time.
“Although we really wanted all three points, a draw is not a bad result because the game could have gone either way. I am happy we didn’t lose and that we didn’t concede any goals,” Mandigora said.
Dynamos left back Ocean Mushure’s free kick with 15 minutes on the clock went just wide of Tafadzwa Dube’s goal.
City’s big chance fell to Martin Vengesayi but the speed merchant’s goal-bound effort was desperately cleared by Sydney Linyama. Tino Kadewere could have stolen victory a minute into added time but his shot rolled across the face of goal with Artwell Mukandi, in goals for Dynamos, in no man’s land.
The challenge to kill the match was then passed on to Dynamos’ second half substitute Kelvin Bulaji in the 94th minute. However, the former Caps United forward’s weak effort straight at Dube was too pathetic to decide a match of such magnitude.
Teams
Harare City: T Dube, D Nyenye, A Chivheya, T Ndhlovu, D Kutyauripo, T Samanja, J Jam, M Vengesayi (73’ P Bamusi), O Mukuradare (83’ H Chimutimunzeve), T Kadewere, T Chawapihwa (B Maglasi)
Dynamos: A Mukandi, O Mwerahari, O Mushure, A Mbara, S Linyama, S Alimenda, W Mukanga (62’ D Chungwa), M Mambare (87’ Q Amini), G Murwira, R Chitiyo, S Nhivi (70’ K Bulaji).
