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NewsDay

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Akbay rages after draw

Sport
Highlanders coach Erol Akbay was left fuming after his team put up a timid performance to share the spoils with struggling Harare City in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.

HARARE CITY . . . . . . . . . . . 0 HIGHLANDERS . . . . . . . . . . . 0

Highlanders coach Erol Akbay was left fuming after his team put up a timid performance to share the spoils with struggling Harare City in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.

BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

Highlanders striker Prince Dube is carefully watched by Harare City defender Jimmy Tigere as he attempts a shot in their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at the National Sports Stadium yesterday
Highlanders striker Prince Dube is carefully watched by Harare City defender Jimmy Tigere as he attempts a shot in their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at the National Sports Stadium yesterday

The Bulawayo giants had their match against Dynamos abandoned due to crowd trouble on Sunday and yesterday looked to leapfrog Ngezi at the top of the log.

With their fans at their best behaviour, Bosso failed to impose themselves against the limping City Fathers.

Coach Akbay was far from impressed by his team’s performance.

“A draw is a bad result. I was not happy with the performance today, it was bad football.

“We are doing okay in the league so far, but I am not happy because we are playing against lowly-ranked teams,” he said.

His counterpart Mike Madzivanyika, who has struggled to mould a formidable team at Harare City since the start of the season, bemoaned his squad’s lack of goals

“We played better than last time, but it’s the usual problem, goals are not coming. Getting a draw is not good enough, we should have wrapped up the three points because we created better chances,” he said.

The match started off very slow and it took 25 minutes for the first real chance of the match.

Young Prince Dube beat his marker on the turn and picked the bottom corner, but Max Nyamupanedengu did enough to push the round the post.

Minutes later Manondo had a brilliant chance in the box, but he blasted the ball into the stands.

Nyamupanedengu produced a stunning point-blank save seconds into the second half to palm away half-time sub Ralph Matema’s close-range volley.

Captain Rahman Kutsanzira had done well on the left side to pick out Matema with a perfect square ball.

City had exciting midfielder Tatenda Tumba stretchered off following a reckless tackle by Honest Moyo.

Moments later the hosts’ striker Jerry Chipangura had a sniff of goal, but his effort flew just over in the 64th minute.

Dube produced the biggest miss of the match after he was set up by Matema with just eight minutes left on the clock.

He came face to face with Nyamupanedengu, his rising effort beat the keeper, but the ball hit the upright post much to the disbelief of Highlanders fans.

Teams:

Harare City: M Nyamupanedengu, T Chimwemwe, T Tumba (P Kabwe 55′), M Vengesai, R Uchena, E Madhanhanga, T Samanja, J Chipangura (T Balakasi 84′), W Manondo (E Zinyama 55′), M Gaki, J Tigere Highlanders: A Sibanda, B Ncube, R Kutsanzira, S Munawa, P Dube, T N Ndlovu, P Mudhuwa, H Moyo, E Mudzingwa (Tendai Ngulube 70′), R Mutuma, A Gahadzikwa