The Sunday Mail
Fungai Muderere in Bulawayo
Bulawayo City………(0) 2
Bulawayo Chiefs……(1) 2
VETERAN Wellington Kamudyariwa rose from the bench to help Bulawayo City secure a share of the spoils against impressive Bulawayo Chiefs in a Chibuku Super Cup Group B round two encounter at Barbourfields yesterday.
It was a match in which Chiefs were thrust into the lead by man of the match Hughe Chikosa in the 18th minute after he beat City goalkeeper Bhekimpilo Ncube from close range.
Ncube had brilliantly blocked a Farau Matare attempt at goal and the ball fell onto the path of Chikosa who obliged by tapping home with ease.
In the 23rd minute, Chiefs’ Lucky Ndlela shook his head in disbelief after his well-taken strike from outside the box went over.
With a dominant play that kept Philani “Beefy” Ncube’s charges in their own half, the entire Amakhosi Amahle family was shocked to see Chikosa’s 40th minute clever chip from just outside the 18-yard box hit the cross bar with Ncube already a beaten man.
It was no wonder that Beefy conceded that they were found wanting in the first half.
“Half a loaf is better than nothing. In the first half our attitude was not positive and after talking about it in the dressing room, we had a good second half,” he said.
And indeed City came to the party in the second period.
A double substitution that saw them introduce John Chinyerere and Kamudyariwa in the 55th minute for the struggling duo of Wisdom Mutasa and Benson Phiri helped them back into the game.
They began to create a plethora of chances that Kamudyariwa, Chinyerere, Mgcini Sibanda and diminutive Elshamar Farasi took turns to miss.
Kamudyariwa eventually found his range when struck the equaliser for City in the 78th minute from the penalty spot, beating David Bizabani, in goal for Chiefs.
City were awarded the penalty after Ben Nyahunzwi was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box by referee Hardly Ndazi.
Two minutes later, Sibanda put Bulawayo City in the lead after he rose airborne to nod home a Kamudyariwa curling cross.
Chiefs were then reduced to 10 men after their holding midfielder, Joe Nyabinde, shining for the greater part of the match, was shown a straight red card for a nasty challenge on City captain Douglas Sibanda.
In the referees’ optional time, Hwange-based Ndazi awarded a second penalty of the match after Wilfred Munhorwei handled the ball inside the box.
Substitute Billy Veremu calmly converted from the spot and rescued the “Twitter Kings’’ from the jaws of defeat.
Amakhosi Amahle coach Thulani Sibanda said they will need to work on their game management.
“We did play well in the first half and in the second we allowed Bulawayo City to come back into the game. There are two things to it, maybe the physical and character aspects. We need to work on our game management,” said Sibanda.
City and Chiefs, who last weekend respectively fell to Chicken Inn and Highlanders, are now tied on one point.
