Bantu Rovers . . . . (1) 1 Dynamos . . . . . . . (0) 3 FORTUNE MBELE
AFTER the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League defeat at home to ZPC Kariba last week which was immediately followed by the Uhuru Cup disappointment on Sunday, this was a perfect response by Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.
But it looked like it would be another long day for the champions when Nqobizita Masuku put the hosts ahead as early as the 13th minute, but a blunder by goalkeeper Brighton Chipula brought the visitors back into the match.
The goalkeeper wanted to appear clever when he tried to chest down a harmless-looking ball from Dynamos midfielder Stephen Alimenda after 60 minutes.
But in his uncalled-for antics, Chipula conceded a corner from which Dynamos equalised through a Sydney Linyama header, a goal which demoralised his teammates who were clearly the better side that far.
The second goal for Dynamos followed immediately.
A long clearance from Partson Jaure in the 63rd minute found Washington Pakamisa, who played the ball to outstanding Tafadzwa Rusike.
The former Caps United winger then sent Cliff Sekete through and the latter skilfully pushed the ball with a side footer past Chipula to put DeMbare in the lead.
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Three minutes later, Jaure sent in another long ball which fell on Pakamisa who released Devon Chafa to blast in the insurance goal which sent Dynamos fans housed at the Mpilo End bay into wild celebrations.
Bantu Rovers head coach Methembe Ndlovu played down Chipula’s blunder in his post-match interview.
“We are obviously disappointed. I thought we had prepared well. But we were always under pressure from the start. We lose as a team and we win as a team. The first goal was from a throw-in that we thought belonged to us, but was given to Dynamos and it resulted in that corner kick and that happens in football,” Ndlovu said.
It was Dynamos’ second set of three points at Barbourfields in their third match after beating How Mine 1-0 in the first game before losing to new boys ZPC Kariba.
Dynamos coach Kalisto Pasuwa admitted that they played second fiddle to Bantu Rovers in the first half, but came back into the game in the second stanza.
“We played second to the ball and they (Bantu Rovers) dominated in the first half, but we came in good in the second half. The pressure was there coming from two consecutive defeats. Now we have to psyche up the boys to start winning at home and the victory gives us the confidence,” Pasuwa said.
Dynamos had come into the game more on the offensive with a one-man Rusike show as he troubled Lawson Nkomo on the left flank, but his efforts were not complemented by Oscar Machapa and Washington Pakamisa with the former not following on the flow of the game.
Machapa was pulled out for Sekete in the 28th minute.
But after Bantu Rovers got their goal, they outplayed their opponents with Masuku, Tafadzwa Kutinyu, Bukhosi Sibanda and Fortune Ncube having a field day in the centre.
But the substitution of Sibanda and Sizalobuhle Dube did not work out for Bantu Rovers as their replacements Obadiah Tarumbwa and Moses Majika were out of the game.
Teams Bantu Rovers: B Chipula, L Nkomo, E Tshuma, P Zireni, Z Ngodzo, E Dube, F Ncube, N Masuku, B Sibanda (M Majika 53rd minute), T Kutinyu, S Dube (O Tarumbwa 46th minute) Dynamos: A Mukandi, P Jaure, T Ndlovu, S Linyama, A Mbara, S Alimenda, D Chafa, O Machapa (C Sekete 28th minute), T Rusike (S Sithole 88th minute), W Pakamisa (F Mupasiri 86th minute), Anesu Gondo
