MATCH abandoned after 55 minutes. To resume this morning at Luveve Stadium. THE Zimbabwe National Army Commander’s Charity Shield semi-final match pitting Highlanders and Chicken Inn at Barbourfields Stadium was called off yesterday due to adverse weather conditions.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
Highlanders . . . . . . . 0
Chicken Inn . . . . (1) 1
Chicken Inn were leading 1-0 through a Clemence Matawu’s fifth minute goal when persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms forced referee, Philani Ncube to stop the match, 10 minutes into the second half.
The match, according to the officials, will resume at 10am this morning at Luveve Stadium due to the poor drainage of yesterday’s venue.
Ncube said the match will resume at 55 minutes, the time it was halted, with the scores at 1-0 in favour of the Gamecocks.
“We decided to call off the match because of lighting. It was getting dark and we initially decided to soldier on but the rains then started. We tried to continue with the match but there was lightning and we had no option but to stop,” he explained.
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“We waited for a reasonable time to see if there was any improvement, but the rains continued and there was also an issue with the drainage, so we decided the conditions were no longer suitable to play.”
Matawu gave his side the lead with a simple tap-in from a rebound after Highlanders goalkeeper, Ariel Sibanda had blocked a shot from former Bosso star, Simon Munawa.
But they will have to try and preserve the lead with a man short, as defender Divine Lunga had been shown the red card 25 minutes into the game for stepping on Highlanders’ Godfrey Makaruse.
If they can hold on, they will play Dynamos in the final of the competition after the Harare side beat Caps United in the Harare Derby at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
Teams
Highlanders: A Sibanda, M Phiri, H Moyo, C Siamalonga, P Muduhwa, B Musaka, R Lunga (O Zibande 55’), A Silla, T Lunga, N Makumbe, G Makaruse Chicken Inn: E Chipezeze, P Bernard, D Lunga (red card 25’), K Chideu, M Jackson, C Matawu, S Munawa (T Goredema 46’), I Mucheneka, G Majika, D Nyandoro (O Chirinda 54’), O Tarumbwa