The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
Ngezi Platinum Stars . . . . .(0) 1
Tsholotsho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1
TSHOLOTSHO remain stuck in relegation zone with four Castle Lager Premier Soccer League games to go after a late Tatenda Mchisa effort denied them maximum points at Baobab yesterday.The visitors opened the scoring with 17 minutes on the clock through McClive Phiri, and put up a solid defensive display from then on.Coach Lizwe Sweswe looked to be on his way to a priceless win but with two minutes remaining, Mchisa saved Ngezi Platinum Stars the blushes. With Mutare City playing out a goalless draw at How Mine, a win for Tsholotsho would have hauled the side out of the red, at least on goal difference. Instead, Tsholotsho remain second from bottom with 20 points, two behind Mutare City Rovers.
The draw lifted Tonderai Ndiraya’s Ngezi to eighth position after Triangle lost 0-1 at Nyamhunga yesterday.
Ngezi Platinum Stars failed to reproduce the kind of form that saw them beat the same opponents 4-1 in the Chibuku Super Cup quarterfinals last weekend.
They could have been 0-2 down by halftime but an alert Nelson Chadya came to their rescue when he saved Mustafa Ponyera’s close range effort in the 37th minute.
After watching his team come back from the dead Ndiraya was happy with the point gained and was the first to admit that his boys didn’t come to the party.
“It was frustrating day in office,” he said. “I thought we would reproduce last week’s form but it wasn’t to be. All the same, we knew that Tsholotsho would do their home work after that defeat and they did just that.
“They came here to frustrate us and they achieved a draw. We got a point at home which is not normally good but in this case I will take it.”
Tsholotsho coach Sweswe reckons his team deserves another dance in the Premiership.
“A point away is good but the manner in which we conceded was painful. We will keep pushing to stay up. You can see that the calibre of players we have are not Division One material, these boys deserve to play in the Premiership next season,” he said.
Teams
Ngezi Platinum Stars: N Chadya, T Dzukamanja, P Jaure, D Teguru (W Pakamisa, 60’), T Mchisa, W Mukanga, K Bulaji, B Madzokere, E Tapera, L Chakoroma, J Nguluve
Tsholotsho: N Marichi, N Siwela, N Moyo, T Nyabinde, G Magariro, Z Moyo, B Madanhire, X Ndlovu (C Dhuwa, 69’), R Mufudza, M Phiri, M Ponyera
