Hwange . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1 Al Amal . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1
A 10-man wasteful Hwange snatched a draw in a tough Caf Confederation Cup first round, first leg match against Al Amal Atbara of Sudan at the Colliery Stadium yesterday.
Captain Rodwell Chinyengetere grabbed the equaliser in the 43rd minute on a day that left-back Munyaradzi Mungadze was given marching orders in the 24th minute for a second bookable offence.
The visitors had scored first in the seventh minute through their captain Adam Saer Adam Mahbob in what could have easily been cleared away by a somewhat jittery Hwange defence.
Mungadze was first cautioned in the 12th minute for a foul on Mahbob before he was shown the second yellow card in the 24th minute for deliberate handling.
Hwange head coach Nation Dube was confident that his side would upset the Sudanese in their back yard at Atbara Stadium in the return leg on the weekend of April 6-8.
“Of course, the red card was costly and the Sudanese time-wasting disturbed the flow of the game, but if they scored here we can do the same there. We played three quarters of the game with 10 men, but we played well. We just have to work on our finishing,” Dube said.
Al Amal coach Mahmoud Oboeliz was content with the draw.
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“The away result is positive for us. I am very satisfied with this result.
“We just have to work on our faults and wait for the second leg,” Oboeliz said.
Mahbob silenced the Hwange supporters in the seventh minute after he easily tapped in a cross from Mohamed Abdel Rahim Sabil from the right flank.
Chinyengetere beautifully headed past Al Amal goalkeeper Murtada Hassa-Mohamed two minutes before Malawian referee Raphael Anthony blew to end the first half from an equally well-taken corner kick by Ocean Mpofu.
It was not a good day for Mungadze, who was facing imminent substitution before he was shown the red card.
Hwange technical manager Tennant Chilumba had to take out midfielder Nkosana Siwela to bring in former captain Gerald Ndlovu to partner David Boriwondo at the back.
As if that was not enough, another defender, Tonisani Sibelo, had to be pulled out in the 44th minute after he mis-kicked a set piece in the 35th minute and injured himself after striker Fransisco Zvikumbawire was brought down at the edge of the box.
Sibelo was eventually taken to hospital in an ambulance at half time following that mishap. He was replaced by striker Winston Mhango.
The Sudanese, who appeared to be content with the draw, employed time-wasting for the entire match as Hwange continued with their onslaught, but the goals did not come.
