The Sunday Mail
Tadious Manyepo in SHAMVA
Simba Bhora…………………………………………(2) 4
Chegutu Pirates……………………………………..0
SIMBA BHORA nailed a semi-final berth in the Axis Solutions Super 8 Cup with a commanding display in this quarter-final win over Chegutu Pirates at Wadzanai Stadium yesterday.
Forward Tinashe Balakasi scored a brace, with the silky man-of-the-match Barnabas Mushunje and substitute Michael Debra adding a goal apiece.
The match had a somewhat disappointing start after players were involved in a physical confrontation as soon as the home side took the lead through Mushunje, who curled a beauty into the top corner of Mandla Hove’s goal.
The fracas, which had Mushunje bruised on top of his left eye, resulted in two red cards on either side, with Simba Bhora’s Constantine Tinapi and Lewis Milanzi for the visitors getting their marching orders.
This meant the teams would play for 82 minutes with 10 men each.
But that did little to dilute this lively encounter before a sold-out crowd.
Simba Bhora coach Arthur Tutani hailed his charges for their near-flawless show.
“It was a good match from my team. We kept the ball for the majority of the game on a beautiful pitch,” said Tutani.
“It was a good all-round match from my charges. I don’t know what happened on the field as I was far from the action.
“I just saw the red cards being flashed at the end of the fracas.
“We are already looking into the semi-finals. We need to continue working hard, consolidate our strengths and try to work on our weaknesses.
“It was of course an awkward game playing with 10 players each but an entertaining one at the end of the day. Good football.”
His opposite number Richard Chunga blamed his charges’ approach.
“I think we lost it because we carried a wrong mentality into the match,” said Chunga.
“It was something that I wasn’t expecting from my players. Our plans that we had were then shredded after that red card. We should have done better,” he said.
Simba Bhora made their intentions clear from the first whistle, with Mushunje and Hardlife Zvirekwi particularly impressive.
With just six minutes on the clock, Mushunje dribbled past a cluster of opponents before curling a beauty to open the floodgates.
Balakasi added the second three minutes before the breather, tapping in a Dexter Phiri low cross for Simba Bhora to carry a healthy lead at the break.
The second phase started as the first had ended, and 12 minutes into the second half, Balakasi slotted home a penalty after Phiri was fouled inside the box, before Debra wrapped the win.
The Axis Solutions Super 8 is being contested by the Northern Region Division One Soccer League’s best eight clubs in the league after the 15-match mark.
