Manica Diamonds…..(0)1 Mushowani STARS……..0
Manica Diamonds registered an important home win after edging Mushowani Stars in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at Gibbo Stadium yesterday.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Second half substitute Stephen Sibanda, who replaced Marshall Mudehwe on the 56th minute, scored the all-important goal 18 minutes after his introduction to help the diamond miners to their second win of the season.
Manica Diamonds head coach Luke Masomere was ecstatic with both the performance and win.
“It was a good win for us, especially considering that in our next match we will be travelling to Hwange. And with this result in the back the players will go there free of any pressure,” he said
“I think we played better in the first half, although we failed to create many scoring opportunities, but in the second half we were in a hurry and the rhythm of the team was greatly disturbed.”
Mushowani Stars head coach Newman Mashipe said he was let down by his side’s shambolic defending.
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“I just feel my boys played well and also Manica Diamonds played very well. Both teams did well, but we just threw it away with bad defending. We took too much time to clear the ball and Manica Diamonds took advantage to score the goal that made the difference. But we will keep fighting and hope to do better in the next match,” he said.
Manica saw the return of defender Patson Jaure into the fold after he was kept on the sidelines for two weeks with an ankle injury.
Jaure’s return came at a good time considering that another centre back Nelson Tachi was also injured in the last match against Triangle.
There was nothing to write home about in the first half as both teams failed to create clear scoring opportunities. Ishmael Lawe produced some flashes of brilliance for the home side in the first stanza. Tendai Mukono headed wide from inside the box after benefiting from a Jaure cross on the 48th minute.
But the visitors were a far much better side in the second half as they grew in confidence.
Their skipper Clive Dzingai was dictating the pace in the middle of the park and they almost took the lead through substitute Joseph Tulani who, however, headed over the bar.
Dzingai’s ferocious shot outside the box missed the target by a few inches.
Teams
Manica Diamonds:
J Muchambo, L. Masibhera, P Mpelele, P Jaure, C .Munzabwa, T Mamvura, Kachembere, M Mudehwe (S.Sibanda 56min), T Mukono, I Lawe, B Marere,
Mushowani Stars: H Makainganwa, C Muvuti, G Bvundura, M. Doley, M Eria, W Tafa, B Phiri, (T Mutandi 50 min), D Kamanga, L Mutawu (J Tulani 52), E Katema
