Border STRIKERS . . . (0) 1 Tsholotsho . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League newboys, Border Strikers finally registered their first top-flight victory after despatching Tsholotsho at Maglas Stadium in Zvishavane yesterday.
BY MUKUDZEI CHINGWERE
Kudzanai Kwashi’s solitary strike in the second half was all the Beitbridge side needed to collect their first points, having lost all the first seven matches.
To add to that horrible start, they had not scored a goal in all their matches and were bottom of the standings with no points and seemingly with no hope.
Tsholotsho, on the other hand, had collected seven points coming into this match and fancied themselves to add to their tally, yet it was not to be.
Vavheneki still anchor the league log, but they will look to their next match with some belief and confidence.
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After the match, winning coach Saul Chaminuka said the victory was the beginning of better fortunes for his side.
“We want to build from this win. It is the start of better things to come for our team,” he said.
“We have been playing well since the beginning of the season, but we were failing to score and today, we managed to convert one of our chances.
“The good thing is that we have also managed to avoid conceding a goal for the first time.”
His counterpart, Lizwe Sweswe conceded that his team had not played well.
“We allowed them to play. That is why we lost. It cost us,” he said.
“We will look at the areas we fell short and seek to rectify on that at training.”
The Beitbridge-based side started the match on the front foot.
Striker Adrian Banana was behind all their meaningful attacks, but the powerful forward was guilty of wasting numerous chances that came his way.
Eight minutes after the breather, heavens opened for Vavheneki when Kwashi connected a cross from the right to give his side their first goal in top-flight football after a barren spell of 683 minutes.
The hosts survived a late scare when Tsholotsho’s Mostafa Ponyera was denied by a brave block from Kwashi, who put his body on the line to deny a goal-bound effort.
