BY HENRY MHARA
Harare City . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Yadah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)1
HARARE City’s winless run continued after they surrendered a first-half lead to share points with Yadah in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
Tendai Mukono gave the Tawurayi Mangwiro-coached side a 12th minute lead when he connected with a cross from Shingirai Musukuta.
They had several chances to increase the lead in a dominant first half, but their forwards took turns to spurn them.
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Yadah took the initiative in the second-half and equalised through Albert Manenji on 60 minutes after he benefitted from a mistake by City goalkeeper Tawanda Dendera.
The draw was Harare City’s sixth game in a row without tasting victory.
“I’m happy to have put an arrest to the three consecutive losses,” Mangwiro said.
“I thought we had a very good start and surged ahead but we couldn’t build on that. We were doing well when we came back from the break. We took in a lot of pressure, but we couldn’t survive that period and that is when we conceded. We regrouped and took the game to our opponents and with little bit of some luck we could have gone on to win it, but I’m happy that at least we managed to get something.”
Harare City are a rung above the relegation zone with 19 points. They are in danger of dropping down into the relegation zone if the teams below them win their matches this weekend.
Yadah are on 11th position with 23 points, and the draw ended their winning run of two matches.
“It was a difficult game for us and we didn’t rise to the occasion,” Yadah coach Genesis Mangombe said.
“We were jittery. We were failing to play the ball from the back. We were second on the ball, we failed to do what we have planned. At least I’m happy that we managed to equalise because we could have easily lost the game.”
City had an ideal start to the game when Mukono went behind the defence to meet a cross from Masukuta on the right and easily beat the George Munhupedzi in the Gadah goal.
Yadah equalised on the hour mark when Dendera spilled a corner kick and the ball fell invitingly for Manenji, who fired into the bottom right corner.
Brian Kadamanja almost gave the Miracle Boys a lead from another corner moments later, but his header flashed just over the bar.
Teams
Yadah: G Munhupedzi, N Mhlanga, L Mucheto, T Gahadzikwa, A Manenji, T Shandirwa (M Faranando, 73’), C Mandivei, K Mangami, V Sango (R Matema, 59’), P Kafelapanjila (F Binzi, 59’), B Kadamanja
Harare City: T Dendera, Z Bizeki, D Dzvinyai, T Pio, D Mudadi, S Masunda, S Masukuta (T Mugoniwa, 65’), Z Semure, E Ziocha (C Rupiya, 71’), D Masukuta, T Mukono
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