The Sunday Mail
Flame Lily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 2
Buffaloes . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 0
AN instinctive brace from bright upstart Macmillan Chigora yesterday helped Flame Lily get their second win of the season, after they beat Buffaloes 2-0 at Lafarge.
Though the game lacked pure quality football, the former Dynamos Juniors midfielder amply made up for it with two quality goals.
Chigora livened up a dull opening spell after giving his team the lead in the 30th minute.
The 21-year-old capitalised on some bad defending by the Buffaloes’ centre back Liberty Chakomora, who spent way too much time with the ball, dispossessing him before chipping the ball over the visitors’ goalie Blessing Mundimujira.
He could have doubled his tally four minutes after the Buffaloes’ duo made an identical error but this time he blazed his effort wide.
With a slender lead going into the second half, MacMillian then made sure of the points with a headed effort off left back Edwin Madhanaga’s cross.
This time timing off his run and beating his marker, the quality of the cross made the entire stadia stand in applause.
In between his goals, however, the home side were guilty of wasting numerous chances that could have made their game a free-scoring affair.
The striking duo of Farayi Mugumwa and Silvester Munhira were the chief culprits.
As for Buffaloes, they had arguably one of the lifeless performances of the season, literally failing to make an impact on the game, a fact coach Joseph Takaringova was quick to point out.
“It seems as if my boys didn’t even pitch up for the game and as a result everything went wrong.
“We lacked co-ordination, communication and failed in the basics. The defending was bad and we were duly punished for it with that first goal.
“Right, we have to go back to the drawing board and work on the team’s attitude as we prepare for our next encounter,” said Takaringova.
His opposite number, Nesbert Saruchera, was more than happy with his team’s second win of the season and the fact that he leapfrogged out of the relegation zone.
“I think we played well, creating many chances and could have won by a bigger margin.
“We now have to build on this performance and make sure we carry this momentum into our next game,” he said.
Teams
Flame Lily: P. Chigumba, G. Phiri, E. Madhanaga, B. Chandisaita, E. Kopeni, T. Huwa, P. Musaka, M. Chigora, S. Harrison, F. Mugumwa, S. Munhira
Buffaloes: B. Mwandimutsa, M. Kudzayi, L. Chakoroma (78th min P. Matizanadzo), P. Chandisaita, H. Madzivanyika, S. Nkata, K. Mandongo, R. Mwenga, M. Jacob, M. Vincent
