Perennial party spoilers at it again

By Givemore Nyakuba

Fc platinum      (1)     (1)

Caps united      (1)      (1)

Caps united destroyed Fc Platinum hopes of clinching the league title after they held them to a  one all draw at Mandava stadium on Saturday the draw saw Chicken inn being crowned champions.

Perennial party spoilers as they are referred to they have done it again by having a say in the decision of champions as they had often done so in the past playing the part of Dynamos but this but time it is fort chicken inn.

Caps united drew the first blood in the 7^th minute when Dominic Chungwa cashed inn from a defensive lapse when goalkeeper Francis Tizayi failed to handle a cross from the right and Chungwa took advantage of it and pushed the ball into the back of the net.

Five minutes later the home side gave their response when the Zambian striker Obrey Chirwa was brought down in the penalty box and Brian Muzondiwa took responsibility of the penalty sending caps united goalkeeper Jorum Muchambo the wrong way.

Fc Platinum continue pilling pressure on caps united after they had drawn level however makepepe stood their ground. They came close to score in the 23^rd minute when Muchambo spilled a Chirwa effort from outside the box.

In the 26^th minute Joel Ngodzo nearly put the visitors in front again when he shoved two defenders but unfortunately his effort went slightly over the bar.

The teams went into the half time break still in a one all draw and the second half belonged to Fc Platinum who were launching an attack after another they were nearly rewarded for their effort in the 56^th minute when Tatenda DZumbunu effort was saved by Muchambo from a Marshal Mudehwe cross and a minute later Mudehwe’s effort went slightly over the cross bar.

In the 60^th minute Chirwa had himself to blame after he skied his effort when had already drew the keeper out of his line after being set up by Dzumbunu.

In the 68^th minute veteran striker Joel Ngodzo had his effort saved by Tizayi and a minute later Stephen Makatuka was red carded for a second bookable offense.

In the 79 minute Elvis Moyo heat the back of the nets with a cross from Mudehwe but the referee denied the platinum minors the goal saying the ball had gone out before Mudehwe Crossed and Allan Gahadziwa could had grabbed the much needed victory for the minors in the 90^th minute when his effort heat the upright and went out with goalkeeper Muchambo beaten all systems out.

Fc Platinum coach Norman Mapeza praised is boys although they failed to reach the Promised Land saying they had come a long way and he was disappointed by the attitude of Caps united players in the last five minutes of the game.

“we wanted to push for a positive result but at the end of the day that’s the nature of the game, lm proud of my boys we worked hard this season we just need to go and get a positive result against Dongo sawmill thus the most important thing and lm not disappointed at all” said Mapeza.

“in the last five minutes the caps united guys were just seating down is this football at the end of the day nowhere is the fair play?. Congratulations to Joel Antipas” said Mapeza.

His opposite number Lloyd Chitembwe said as a professional team they had to play their normal game and they also needed the points.

“We are not here to do favors to anyone but we are here to do favors for ourselves it was not by choice, we are professionals we had to do our job and we also needed the points as badly as they needed them. We didn’t play our normal game after the expulsion of Makatuka they were much quicker in decision making and the movement was excellent and I am happy with the attitude” Said Chitembwe.

I am very much worried with the so called small teams: Pasuwa
By Givemore Nyakuba

Pasuwa and nyax @ Mandava stadium

National team head coach Calisto pasuwa said he is worried about the small teams in the Zimbabwe premier soccer league.
Speaking after the Fc Platinum Harare city match played at Mandava stadium on Saturday the former Dynamos gaffer said the perceived small teams are becoming a major threat to the big teams namely Dynamos, Caps united and Highlanders.
He also added that the Championship is going to be decided on the last two games or the last matches of the season.
“l am very much worried with this so called small teams as they are gunning for the championship. The championship we will be decided in the last two games” said Pasuwa.
He also went on to say that any of the two teams can take the championship that is Fc Platinum and Chicken inn, after chicken inn drew 1 all with relegated Wha Wha at Ascot stadium on Saturday Fc Platinum registered a 2nil victory over Harare city thereby putting the championship race wide open as they are now trailing the log leaders with two points.
He also went further saying that people didn’t take Fc Platinum and Chicken inn as championship material as they always anticipate that the big teams will raise to the occasion.
“any of the two teams can take the championship, if you talk of the two teams people wouldn’t take them as championship material but now they are winning and football is improving very much” said Pasuwa.
The national team coach also cited the improvement of the game to the professional administration by clubs as he cited Wha Wha as an example saying they are already out of the league and they are still taking points away from other teams who are fighting for the tittle and those who are still fighting relegation.
“Wha Wha are relegated already I you play against them they are taking points this shows the shows the professional side of teams and good administration.

PLatinum edge closer to tittle

Platinum edge closer to title
By Givemore Nyakuba
Fc Platinum       (0)     (2)
Harare City         (0)    (0)
Fc Platinum kept their hopes of clinching the league title for the first time in history alive after dismissing Harare city 2nil at Mandava Stadium on Saturday.
The win by Fc Platinum saw them cutting the point’s deficit to two after the log leaders had played a nil all draw with Wha Wha earlier during the day.
Harare city had themselves to blame for the loss after they failed to take the chances that came their way in the first half as they were the ones who had better chances of winning the game  in the first half however their strikers let them down on numerous occasions.
Right from the first whistle Harare city made their presents known through numerous attacks on the Fc Platinum defence but however they could not be penetrated.
Fc platinum could have taken the lead in the 5th minute when Emmanuel Mandiranga blasted his effort over the bar after a he was setup by Gerald Takwara andin the 27th minute he missed the target with inches when he received the ball from an Elvis Moyo corner kick.
In the 40th minute the platinum miners came close to take the lead when Obrey Chirwa was fouled on the edge of the box but however Tatenda Dzumbunu who took responsibility on the freekick blasted his effort over the bar and the teams went into the break still goalless.
The second half resumed with the Platinum miners more determined to collect all the maximum points.
Nigel Papius replaced Mandivanga in the 49th minute and in the 55th minute he handed the team the much needed goal when he beat Tafadzwa Dube all sytems out who was in goals for the sunshine boys, He received a pass from the right when Tatenda Mudehwe spotted his run and he made no mistake by unleashed a shot that was unstoppable into the right corner of Dube’s post.
The sunshine boys head coach was forced to have an injury inspired substitution when he pulled out Francisco Zvekumbavire for Osborne Mukumbadare.
Tatenda Mudehwe put the final nail on the coffin in the 66th minute when he was released by Obrey Chirwa and he dribbled past Anold Chiveya before he pulled a powerful shot which found its way past the veteran goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube.
However a minute later Tatenda Chawapihwa could have pulled one back for the visitors when his effort from the free kick just outside the box missed the target by inches.
The last 20minutes of the second half saw the kugona kunenge kudada boys dominating the play.
Harare city head coach Taurai Mangwiro had his defenders and strikers to blame as they give away to soft goals and failed to take away chances that came their way in the first half respectively.
“it was a game in which l think we could have salvaged something we were our worst enemies where we needed to stick to the basics of defending we committed an elementary mistake and that’s the punishment, the second goal was a giveaway goal Tafadzwa should have had his near post covered such is football if a goalkeeper makes a mistake there is no one to cover up for him, we will see what happens in the remaining 3 games” said Mangwiro.
His opposite number Norman Mapeza said it was a huge win for them saying the poor display in the first half was due to the fact that the players had hear the result of the chicken inn Wha Wha game which was played earlier before their game.
“It is a massive result for us, we still have 9points to play for and we have to win the remaining games and see what happens at the end of the season, we didn’t do well in the first half pressure was mounting after the guys heard the result of the chicken inn Wha Wha game but l talked to them at half time that’s why they came back relaxed in the second half and playing their usual game” said Mapeza.
The result means that the championship race is still wide open between Fc Platinum and Chicken in as they are now separated with only 2points with three games to the end of the season.