Ngezi Platinum Stars . . . . . . (0) 1
Mwos . . . . . . . . . 0
Ngezi Platinum Stars reignited their title aspirations with a slender, hard-fought victory over Mwos at the Baobab Stadium, though a deeply contentious refereeing decision will inevitably dominate the post-match post-mortem.
A superb 57th-minute strike from Farai Madhanhanga was enough to separate the sides and ensure the hosts bounced back from last week’s bruising 2-1 defeat to Dynamos—a result that shattered their glittering 15-match unbeaten streak.
Prior to that setback, Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva’s men had stood alone as the division's sole invincibles.
While the manner of yesterday's triumph lacked clinical purity, the home side will scarcely care as the three points propelled them to second in the table on 29 points, a mere two behind the leaders, Scottland, after 16 rounds.
Yet, the decisive moment left a bitter taste for the visitors.
The flashpoint arrived when referee Thabani Ruzario initially halted play, blowing his whistle to award Mwos a free-kick after Clive Kwangwari was fouled inside the centre circle.
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As the match paused to allow the stricken player treatment, a bizarre bureaucratic fog seemed to descend upon the official.
Upon resumption, Ruzario inexplicably restarted play with a drop-ball in favour of Ngezi.
Seizing the unexpected initiative, the hosts launched a swift, opportunistic counter-attack.
A panicked, misqueued clearance from the Mwos backline fell invitingly into the path of Madhanhanga, who unleashed a sublime, instinctive first-time effort that flew past the helpless goalkeeper Tedius Baye.
"What we wanted was just the right mentality to grind out the result so that we regain our confidence," a relieved Mutiwekuziva reflected after the final whistle. "We did not play our normal football because of the result that we experienced in the last game. Against Dynamos, we did not do anything bad—what was bad was only the result. This is what we wanted to correct."
For Mwos, the defeat represents a familiar stumble back into the mire of inconsistency, coming just a week after a commendable goalless draw against the former leaders, Hardrock.
Last season’s runners-up are now in eighth place, seven points adrift of their conquerors.
Coach Lloyd Mutasa bemoaned his side's defensive lapse while adopting a diplomatic, almost weary silence regarding the referee’s pivotal intervention.
"I have said it again and again that as a coach I don't want to talk much about things that we don't have control over," Mutasa said.
"We always try and emphasise to these players: let's try and play to the whistle. There was a bit of a lapse of concentration and we ended up conceding.
"I want to say congratulations to Ngezi for beating us. In the first half we had a few chances but we could not capitalise on them. They had their chance, probably a half chance, a goal we thought could have been avoided because we had numbers at the back. They punished us and we started wanting to play when we were a goal down."
The game had promised more in a frantic opening period, but both sides squandered a succession of glorious opportunities, leaving the contest finely poised at the interval.
After Madhanhanga’s opener, Mwos dominated territory and possession in search of an equalizer, but their creativity deserted them in the final third, leaving Ngezi to celebrate a welcome victory.
Teams
Ngezi Platinum Stars: M Chang, G Chirwa, L Kashitigu, P Moyo, F Madhanhanga, B Katumba, M Mukumba, Q Amini, T Mavhudzi, M Gaki, O Zvavarevi.
Mwos: T Baye, J Makangira (D Ndeunyema, 60'), I Zambezi, A Banda, A Manyamba, T Mutyambizi, R Chinemo (B Mpofu, 44'), C Kwangwari, G Manase (M Mudzuka, 76'), B Veremu (W Mensah, 60'), V Katsande
