The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
ZPC Kariba . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
HAPPY HOUR . . . Chicken Inn goalscorer Clemence Matawu carries striker Mitchelle Katsvairo while Tafadzwa Kutinyu joins in the celebration during a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Gwanzura yesterday. — (Picture by Lee Maidza)
A LAST gasp equaliser from substitute Tsepo Rantokoane salvaged a point for ZPC Kariba as they began life without Saul Chaminuka at Gwanzura yesterday.
Rantokoane bundled the ball home from close range in the 91st minute after some fine work by left back Dexter Phiri to cancel out a 71st minute Chicken Inn goal that was scored by another second half substitute Clemence Matawu.
The draw opened a three point gap at the top of the log for Chicken Inn, who have now accumulated 20 points from nine matches.
Triangle, who host stubborn newcomers WhaWha at Gibbo today, are second while ZPC Kariba are on ninth with 11 points.
The electricians felt robbed of victory by referee Nomore Musundire who denied them what looked like a clear penalty in the 58th minute.
Philip Makanje was felled by Canaan Nkomo inside the box but Musundire adjudged that the lanky ZPC Kariba man had been fouled outside the box.
The resultant free kick was blocked by the wall.
The visitors also had their chances, twice hitting the crossbar in the first half through player of the moment Edmore Chirambadare and a minute after the restart from the boot of George Majika.
“It is a crucial point, last minute goals happen in soccer. It was a lapse in concentration but I have to give credit to my boys,” said Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas.
Team manager Paul “Popopo” Chimalizeni and the unheralded Oliver Matava were in charge of ZPC Kariba, who played probably their last game using Gwanzura as their home amid reports that Nyamhunga Stadium in Kariba has finally been approved by the Premier Soccer League Grounds Committee.
“The boys showed a remarkable fighting spirit. It was good to get a point against the log leaders especially in our first match without our head coach Chaminuka,” said Chimalizeni.
Meanwhile, a number of coaches are being linked with the ZPC Kariba job.
Former coach Jostein Mathuthu Mambo, who won promotion for the electricians at the end of the 2013 and has also been linked with a return, was at Gwanzura yesterday.
The history making Sunday Chidzambwa has also been mentioned but his manager Gibson Mahachi dismissed the speculation.
“At the present moment there has been no official contact with ZPC Kariba. Those are just rumours,” said Mahachi.
ZPC Kariba: L. Chirava, S. Sheshe, D. Phiri, T. Magorimbo, D. Dauda, G. Magariro, P. Makanje, P. Tafirenyika, D. Chakupe (T. Rantokoane 69th), A. Nyamiwa (T. Nyamandwe 56th), R. Manuvire (N. Mkwezaramba 85th)
Chicken Inn: E. Chipezeze, M. Jackson, C. Nkomo (T. Goredema 81st), D. Lunga, D. Phiri, M. Katsvairo (D. Temwanjira 75th), P. Bernard, E. Chirambadare, T. Kutinyu, L. Mhlanga, G. Majika (C. Matawu 64th)
