DeMbare lose to GameCocks

By The Standard and Newsday | Feb. 28, 2022 | 4 Min read

Brian Muza’s low shot from inside the box on 78th after some dreadful defending by Dynamos was all Chicken Inn needed to collect maximum points that will see them tag along with Manica Diamonds at the top of the log table.

BY HENRY MHARA

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Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . (0)1

Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya was left fuming after watching his side concede their first defeat of the Premier League campaign to Chicken Inn at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.

Billed as the peak of the weekend fixtures, the match failed to live up to the hype with chances very few and far between.

Both teams have 12 points although Chicken Inn are positioned second due to an inferior goal difference.

The result was Dynamos’ first defeat of the season after five matches, and Ndiraya was left furious especially with the way they conceded the goal.

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His defenders failed to deal with a long free kick into the box that looked harmless until it landed on the foot of Muza, who shot the ball into the net.

Dynamos goalkeeper Taimon Mvula knows he could have done better to cut the cross off.

“It’s a very disappointing result,” Ndiraya said. “I am very disappointed, particularly by the way we lost the game. What is frustrating for any coach is to concede the way we did. A free kick from about 30-35 metres wasn’t that dangerous, a high ball and we failed to defend, is disappointing if you look at the experience that we have.

“Apart from that, I thought today we were not really ourselves. I expected a different performance. It looks like we gave it our all against FC Platinum last week when we looked solid and created chances. But today if you ask me, we never created any meaningful chances.

“Of course in the first half we had some moments, but those were not really clear cut chances. But in games like these you don’t get clear chances. Those half chances and set pieces, like they did today, is what you take advantage of and score goals. All the same, that didn’t happen. Of course we didn’t perform the way we had wanted to but I must also give it to Chicken Inn.

“They came here with a game plan. From the onset I think their intentions were very clear. They wanted to be very tidy at the back and they played with three men at the back and they kept it very tight and that restricted us to some few moments. They did well. It was a very good game plan and they scored through a freekick and afterwards they shut the shop.”

Dynamos were the aggressor in the early minutes of the match and should have scored when Bill Antonio’s cross was allowed by Chicken Inn goalkeeper Benard Donovan to run across the face of goal.

Ghanaian Emmanuel Paga missed the ball completely and it fell invitingly for Brendon Mpofu on the blind side, but the left-back fired wide with the goal gaping.

Chicken Inn were mostly relying on counter attacks, and made sporadic raids in the Dynamos box but without really troubling Mvula.

Their clearest chance of the half came on 33rd minute when Bret Amidu was sent through on goal, but the former Dynamos midfielder skied his effort with only the keeper to beat.

The visitors grew in confidence as the half wore on and continued with the similar tempo in the second half.

They were rewarded for their efforts when Mvula hesitated to come out to cut a long free kick hooped into his box. The ball was recycled back into the danger area by a man on the far side who found Muza to side foot into the net, with the Dynamos defence ball watching.

It was not the prettiest of performances from both sides, but Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas is happy that his team managed to grind a result.

“One thing I must say is that it wasn’t a game for the fans. It was a game to grind maximum points and we did just that,” Antipas said.

“Dynamos had a better first half, they had control of the game. We were a bit slow and Dynamos were winning the second ball and were attacking us. We improved in the second half, put on a high press and we gave them some good pressure. It wasn’t a game that was full of chances. They were more or less half chances. I thought it was a tactical battle, but we emerged victorious. I am very happy about it, but we still have lots of work to do. Football is never perfect so you always try to improve the team.”

Teams

Dynamos: T Mvula, E Jalai, B Mpofu, F Makarati, P Jaure, K Murera, S Nyahwa, B Antonio (I Sadiki, 53’), R Kawondera (A Eonde, 75’), E Katema, E Paga (G Murwira, 68’)

Chicken Inn: D Bernard, X Ndlovu (G Majika, 65’), M Jackson, N Ketala, S Mhlanga, I Mabunu, R Hachiro, B Amidu (C Dzingai, 79’), M Charamba, M Hwata (B Ncube, 68’), B Muza