The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Chicken Inn (0) 3
Dynamos (0) 0
DYNAMOS coach Paolo Jorge Silva insisted there was no reason for his side to worry despite being pummeled by defending champions Chicken Inn in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League opener at Barbourfields yesterday.
Veteran striker Obadiah Tarumbwa scored twice in two second-half minutes before the impressive Tafadzwa Kutinyu added a third as the Gamecocks took DeMbare to the cleaners.
The visitors ended the day a man short after Richard Kawondera was shown a second yellow for dissent less than a minute before Tarumbwa’s opener.
It was Dynamos’ first defeat in a season opener in five years, the last one coming on March 27, 2011 when Lloyd Mutasa’s charges fell 0-1 to Kiglon.
DeMbare were poor yesterday but strangely their coach claimed to be very happy with his team’s performance.
“I am very happy with my team’s performance, they did everything, they gave everything. I have super boys, boys with a good fighting spirit,” he said.
The Portuguese coach once bragged that he came to Zimbabwe to eat chicken – a favourite dish back in his homeland – in an apparent dig at Chicken Inn.
But after Gweru referee Thomas Masaa’s final whistle, Silva admitted the Gamecocks are a force to reckon with.
“They deserved to win; playing in this big pitch with a man down was difficult. Chicken Inn are a very good team, they play the ball on the floor,” he conceded.
Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas was an elated man.
“Definitely a grand start to our title defence, we worked hard for this result as we always do. I thought in the second half we turned on the power and we didn’t afford Dynamos any space.
“In the first half we gave Dynamos too much space, but in the second half we started moving the ball a little quickly especially after they were a man down.
“The instruction to our midfielders especially Danny (Phiri) was to move the ball from side to side, because we had an extra man.
“At times we had them at two versus one situations on the wings which we worked well for us,” said Antipas, who also hailed two-goal hero Tarumbwa.
“Oba is a quality player, it was cool to get him. One thing that we know we will get from him is that guile in attack, he is a very good passer of the ball.”
Chicken Inn, who played a diamond 4-4-2 formation, had the better of the exchanges early on and could have scored two inside the opening 10 minutes.
Kutinyu, who played at the tip of the Gamecocks’ diamond, blazed a rebound wide after four minutes of play before Clemence Matawu headed over a cross from the left.
Dynamos, on the other hand, struggled to get going and had an appeal for a penalty in the 42nd minute ignored after Chicken Inn defender Lawrence Mhlanga appeared to use his arm to block a Walter Mukanga shot.
Teams
Chicken Inn: E Chipezeze, P Bernard, D Lunga, M Jackson, L Mhlanga, D Phiri, C Matawu, E Chirambadare, T Kutinyu (P Tafirenyika, 85’), O Tarumbwa (M Demera, 77’), M Katsvairo
Dynamos: T Mukuruva, G Murwira, S Linyama, E Muroiwa, O Mushure, S Alimenda (T Chipunza, 65’), W Mukanga (D Mukandi, 67’), M Mambare (K Bulaji, 55’), F Mupasiri, R Mutuma, R Kawondera
