FC PLATINUM suffered a setback in their title campaign after falling to a spirited Hwange in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Mandava Stadium yesterday.
REPORT BY SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
FC Platinum . . . . . 0 Hwange . . . . . . (1) 1
David Boriwondo punished the hosts in the 38th minute with a header off a Creven Banda corner kick from the right. Despite the loss, FC Platinum remain on top of the log with 21 points at least until Highlanders play against Monomotapa this afternoon. FC Platinum assistant coach Tendai Chikuni rued his team’s missed chances in the opening stages of the match which they dominated. “We missed a lot of chances and we were punished. We started the match very well, but lost concentration and gave Hwange a chance to score. The league race is still open. It’s a marathon and we will go back to the drawing board,” Chikuni said. His Hwange counterpart Brian Njobvu was ecstatic, praising his lads for a fantastic performance. “It was a good game and a win was overdue. We knew that we would get a win soon and I am happy it came against Platinum. We have a crop of young players who we recently promoted into the senior side and we are beginning to enjoy the fruits,” he said. The hosts started the match brightly, dominating the first 15 minutes, but failed to translate that into scores. Zambian import Obrey Chirwa almost put the home side ahead in the 13th minute with a well taken close-range shot, but Hwange goalkeeper Timothy Sibanda brilliantly saved after a corner kick. The visitors came back into the game and almost notched ahead in the 20th minute, but Petros Mhari did well to deny Evans Rusike another close-range effort by the visitors. A minute later, Mhari was again called to make a save when Boriwondo cracked from the edge of the box. Mhari then turned villain moments later when he failed to collect a harmless cross from Gerald Ndlovu on the right to gift the visitors a corner kick which resulted in a goal. Creven Banda curled in a beautiful corner and Boriwondo used his height to head home the winner. Hwange held on to the goal until the breather. In the second half, FC Platinum coach Tenant Chilumba made three substitutions bringing in Michelle Katsvairo for Nelson Mazivisa in the 56th minute, Raymond Sibanda for Welcome Ndiweni in the 63rd minute and Joel Ngodzo for Charles Sibanda in the75th minute respectively, but to no avail. After the win, Hwange players and supporters celebrated their team’s first win over FC Platinum in the league as though they had won a cup final probably because their former coach Chilumba is now in charge of FC Platinum.
