Yadah . . . . . (1) 2 Herentals . . . (0) 2
SUBSTITUTE Tafadzwa Chitukutuku scored a memorable brace to help Herentals come from two goals behind to stun and grab a point against Yadah FC in a Castle Lager Premier league match at Rufaro Stadium yesterday.
BY GARISH PHIRI
It took just 11 minutes for the dominant Yadah side to take a deserved lead when Simbarashe Sithole scrambled the ball home inside a crowded box following a corner by Leeroy Murape.
Willard Kalongonda then doubled the lead 10 minutes after the breather with an easy tap-in after being set up by Ralph Matema.
At this point, the game looked dead and buried for Herentals, and as a last resort, they threw in Chitukutuku on the 69th minute to replace Archmore Majarira.
Still it looked beyond the striker’s abilities as the game went into the referees’ optional time, with Yadah comfortably leading.
Chitukutuku kick-started the comeback a minute into added time when he capitalised on Yadah’s defensive mix-up and hit the back of the net with a firm shot from inside the penalty box.
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Bouyed by the goal, Herentals pushed numbers forward and with the Yadah defence still shell-shocked and obviously in panic mode, 45-year Innocent Benza collected possession and passed to Chitukutuku who calmly put the ball into the back of the net again with a few seconds remaining on the clock to send his team into delirium.
Herentals coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva was a relieved man when the final whistle was blown.
“Miracles do happen in football. Fighting spirit, determination and at the same time hard work propelled us to get the draw. We were two goals down for the entire 90 minutes. Just to get two goals in the added minute is just amazing. Our game changer Tafadzwa Chitukutuku did an amazing job for us today. We are celebrating the draw as a victory due to the nature of the game. We did not play very well, ” he admitted.
Yadah’s Coach Thomas Ruzive was disappointed with the end result as his team were the dominant side in the game.
“I think the guys played very well, but lost concentration in the last minutes. It is very disappointing because we were dominating the whole game and in the last few minutes we lost concentration. The defenders slept on the wheel. I am very disappointed because we could have collected maximum points,” he said.
Teams
Yadah FC: S Chimusoro, W Kalongonda, B Mapfumo, A Makopa, L Zvasiya, E Karembo, L Murape, B Chikwenya, S Sithole, R Matema( W Kaseke, 89’), M Masuyakuvi ( J Chitereki , 75’).
Herentals: P Tafiremutsa, B Majarira, C Mavhurume, P Chota, G Chinobva, I Benza, E Mhungu (B Majarira, 53’), R Hachiro, T Benza (S Cheya, 60’), A Majarira (T Chitukutuku, 69’)
