The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
Yadah Stars…. 0
Dynamos….. (3) 4
THERE was some pre-match drama as Yadah Stars were initially denied entry into the National Sports Stadium because of some Covid-19 protocol issues, but that didn’t distract Shadreck Nyahwa from announcing his arrival at Dynamos with a big bang. The player, who joined Dynamos from Bulawayo Chiefs in the off-season, scored a beautiful brace in a man-of-the-match performance that left coach Tonderai Ndiraya purring.
Godknows Murwira, who like Nyahwa missed DeMbare’s 0-0 lifeless draw against Herentals last week because of registration issues, also scored a contender for Goal of the Tournament as the Glamour Boys dismantled Yadah in a Chibuku Super Cup Group One match yesterday.
Cameroonian striker Albert Eonde scored another beauty on a day DeMbare turned on the power.
But that was after some little drama before the match. Yadah were initially denied entry into the stadium after failing to produce Covid-19 test results, and that delayed kick-off by 29 minutes.
The Miracle Boys were finally allowed in after it was confirmed that copies of the results had been wired to the Premier Soccer League. Despite the annoyances, Yadah started strongly and dominated the exchanges in the early minutes, with dribbling wizard Issa Sadiki a thorn for skipper Partson Jaure and his defence.
They were, however, punished by a disciplined Dynamos after only nine minutes, when Nyahwa hit the top-right corner of the net with a powerful shot on his debut for the Harare giants.
The floodgates had been opened.
Eonde made it 2-0 in the 21st minute, and it was another exquisite strike.
The Cameroonian pressed the Yadah defence, won the ball and placed it beyond Tanyaradzwa Huni from just outside the box. It was 3-0 by the 38th minute when Murwira fired home a 30-metre drive into the top-right corner, as Dynamos took a comfortable lead into the break. Ndiraya did not remove his foot off the pedal in the second half as he introduced skillful winger Tinotenda “Kedha” Chiunye for an ineffective Tanaka Chidhobha in the 62nd minute.
Four minutes later, Dynamos were 4-0 up.
And it was Nyahwa at it again.
This time, he spotted Huni off his line and audaciously lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper from the centre line.
Yadah were dead and buried.
They tried to push for a consolation, especially after the introduction of the bustling Nkosi Mhlanga, but they failed to breach the DeMbare defence.
Ndiraya heaped praises on newboy Nyahwa.
“We know he can do that.
The two goals he scored were fantastic; the goals were just good. Albert (Eonde) did the same, he looks a slow guy but he pressed, won the ball and placed it.
“They were all fantastic goals, but what is important is that we got the three points and we look forward to the next match,” said Ndiraya.The Dynamos gaffer also coached Nyahwa at the national Under-23 team two seasons ago and knows all about the box-to-box midfielder, who also featured for the Warriors at the CHAN finals in Cameroon early this year.
“We came into this match with some bit of pressure obviously because of the expectations from our fans, but I thought the draw we got against Herentals was a good result. It was a good start and we had to build on that result.
“Today we came in with five changes and it was mostly the team that we have been preparing and we saw the result is telling it all.
“Good performance for me,” said Ndiraya, who believes his side will get better with time.
Teenage winger Bill Antonio also made his debut after he was finally registered during the week but his performance was below par.
That was not the case with Nyahwa, who thanked his coach for giving him a platform.
“I also want to thank my teammates; it wasn’t any easy game.
Playing for Dynamos is not easy, they are a big team and I want to thank them and want to show them ndauya (I am here).”
Yadah coach Genesis Mangombe blamed some “behind the door” moves for his team’s demise.
“It wasn’t going to be easy playing against Dynamos.
As you saw, it was even difficult to access the playing field, even our warm-up was in pieces and we didn’t do as per plan.
“Otherwise some of these things are very important for our players, but that is water under the bridge, we go back to the drawing board,” he said.
He explained the cause of the delay in kick-off.
“The thing is we got the Covid-19 results and they were forwarded to the responsible authorities by our chairman, but the guy from PSL said they didn’t have the results, yet they were forwarded by email.
“I even showed him (PSL official) a copy of my results which I saved in the phone.
“But sometimes these games are played behind doors. Finally, they allowed us to get inside. There is foul play somewhere somehow.
“Some of these things you can’t understand. He had the results on his phone but he was saying his bosses didn’t have the results.”
Mangombe thinks the pre-match incident affected his players psychologically.
Yadah play Harare City on Wednesday while Dynamos host ZPC Kariba the following day at the same venue.
Teams:
Yadah Stars: T. Huni, B. Chayambuka, G. Mangani (O. Tafira 74th), L. Mucheto, T. Mutyambizi, I. Sadiki (V. Sango 79th), P. Kafelapanjila, G. Mukambi, T. Shandirwa (T. Kabanda 74th), F. Bhinzi (N. Mhlanga 46th)
Dynamos: T. Mvula, E. Jalai, P. Jaure, F. Makarati, G, Murwira, S. Nyahwa, T. Mavhunga (A. Maliselo 77th), B. Mushunje (D. Temwanjira 77th), T. Chidhobha (T. Chiunye 62nd), B. Antonio (T. Makanda 70th), A. Eonde (N. Sianchali 70th).
