DYNAMOS ……….(2)4 BULAWAYO CITY…..(1)3
FIVE wins in five matches. Could this be Dynamos’ season? While it might be too early to judge, but the Harare giants made a bold statement after recovering from a goal down to see off a battling Bulawayo City in a seven-goal thriller at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
The victory, their fifth in row, after a poor start to the campaign, lifted them to fourth position with 26 points and they could go top if the judgment on their abandoned match against Chapungu goes in their favour.
The match was stopped just before the hour when the goal post collapsed, with the Harare cruising at 4-0, and Chapungu has been charged for the mishap.
Dynamos’ defensive frailties might have been exposed against City yesterday, but they still got the job done.
The Glamour Boys, missing their inspirational captain Ocean Mushure who is away on national duty, found themselves trailing behind after seven minutes when goalkeeper Tonderai Mateyaunga presented Bulawayo City with a neatly wrapped gift, making a mess of a back pass.
The goalie, imprudently chose to dribble instead of clearing the ball out of danger, and an alert 18-year-old Clive Rupiya, the stand-out performer for the visitors, dispossessed him before slotting the ball into an empty net.
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However, the Glamour Boys showing so much verve, levelled matters three minutes later, when Obey Mwerahari the captain of the day, got to the end of a free kick by Peace Makaha and leapt highest to plant a firm header into the nets.
Denver Mukamba then popped up the second on the 18th minute, toe-poking the ball home from a long throw-in by Carlos Rusere.
Still the visitors matched their more illustrious opponents blow by blow and after Kelvin Madzingere and Mkhokeli Dube came close, they were duly rewarded when Rupiya completed his double, firing home on 47 minutes with the Dynamos defence guilty of ball watching.
However, man of the moment, Christian Epoupa restored Dynamos’s lead five minutes later, using his big body to shield the ball from his marker after a set-up by Peace Makaha before unleashing a thunderous shot that hit the roof of the nets from the acutest of angles.
Defender Lincoln Zvasiya then added the fourth on 71 minutes, drilling a low shot that beat the keeper after a set up by Mukamba.
But Bulawayo City made sure of a nervy finish to the match when substitute Bellington Damson headed the ball into the nets with eight minutes remaining.
Dynamos assistant coach Biggie Zuze was happy with his team’s performance.
“We are very happy with our performance. It was a good game, balanced match and one of the best this year, a seven-goal thriller. Credit goes to the boys. They kept on fighting, though we didn’t defend well. The first goal was a gift from the keeper. But this happens in football. We are beginning to see a change in the team. The fighting spirit is there and these guys deserve to be where they are right now,” Zuze said.
City coach Mandla Mpofu also praised his charges for a good show.
“It was an unbelievable performance from the boys. We conceded one stupid goal which could have been avoided, but overally it was a good performance from my guys. I am blending youth and experience and its coming up, two goals from Rupiya whom I believe is the next Khama Billiat (Warriors star).”
Teams
Dynamos: T Mateyaunga, P Makaha, C Rusere, ( P Dube, 40′), L Zvasiya, M Machazane, T Chipunza, O Mwerahari, E Mandiranga, D Mukamba (T Macheke, 90′), C Epoupa, C Kapupurika (T Sadiki, 82′),
Bulawayo City: A Ngwenya, M Kadzola (J Ngodzo, 26′), M Mangadze, N Mukumbi, S Zibusiso, K Madzongwe, I Kutsanzira, M Dube, (D Maphosa, 64′), T Ndlovu, C Rupiya, H Ncube ( B Damson, 74′)
