The Sunday Mail
Ngqwele Dube in Bulawayo
Bantu Rovers . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
Shabanie Mine . . . . . . . . . . . . (3) 4
VISITING Shabanie Mine FC put up an enthralling performance to add on to Bantu’s relegation woes in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League encounter played at Hartsfield Rugby Stadium yesterday afternoon.
The loss saw Bantu Rovers coach Methembe Ndlovu admitting that his side was headed for the unfashionable Division One League, while Shabanie upped their chances of survival, although they still remain rooted on position 12 on the log.
A brace from Xolisani Ncube either side of the break and additional goals from Michael Mageja and Wellington Kamudyariwa secured the points for Shabanie while Bantu’s face saver was a last minute strike by Teenage Hadebe.
Ncube, who put up a man-of-the match performance, was in the thick of things as early as the fifth minute when he exchanged passes with Mageja who set up Kamudyariwa for the visitors’ first goal.
Bantu could have quickly found an equaliser in the ninth minute when Obadiah Tarumbwa flighted the ball into the box and found Herbert Dick at the far end.
Dick missed the target.
Shabanie doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when defender Zvenyika Makonese played a long ball from the back and found Ncube, who got the better off Dick and laid it through to Mageja to slot in.
Four minutes later Ncube received the ball after a counter attack and a quick run saw him outpace Bantu defenders, before he beat Takunda Mutanga, who was in between the posts for Tshintsha Guluva.
The second half started on an even keel.
Shabanie Mine substitute Allen Tavarwisa made a run on the right flank, made a square pass that found an unmarked Ncube inside the Bantu penalty area in the 78th minute. Ncube coolly slotted in the ball, cementing the visitors’ lead.
After a match in which his boys were guilty of making a lot mistakes, Ndlovu was honest.
“We are going to play competitively in the coming games but being relegated is not the end of the world,” he said.
Shabanie Mine coach, Jairos Tapera was satisfied with the win.
“I feel it was a good win and the team showed consistency and I believe the win gives us a direction in terms of where we are going as far as relegation is concerned,” he said.
Teams:
Bantu Rovers: T Mutanga, H Dick, Z Ngodzo, T Kutinyu (E Dube, 55th, L Ndlela 85th) , B Sibanda (G Moraka,46thh) T Hadebe, M Mlangeni, O Tarumbwa, M Majika, N Masuku, L Mpofu
Shabanie Mine: V Twaliki, G Murwira, S Muchabaiwa, D Sibanda (R Mabhena, 83rd), W Kamudyariwa, L Ngara (A Tavarwisa, 72nd), X Ncube, M Dhikinya, M Mageja (M Carlos, 60th)
