Gilbert Munetsi Sports Correspondent
ZIMBABWE’S World Boxing Federation-Africa cruiserweight champion, Chamunorwa “Sting” Gonorenda yesterday had to endure a whole day at Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi, Kenya, while awaiting the connecting flight to Lagos where he is scheduled to defend his title against Tony “Sugar” Salam tonight.
Dubbed “Chaos in Lagos”, the event takes place at the Federal Palace in Victoria Island.
Team Gonorenda said from Nairobi early yesterday that they strongly feel the arrangement was intended to psychologically disadvantage them.
Going into the match with a record of 12 wins and the same number of losses, “Sting” has, however, won his last five bouts on the trot and faces the southpaw (Salam) whose record he contributed in denting for the second time.
Salam has won 10 matches and lost twice, one of the occasions to Gonorenda.
The split points verdict issued at the last encounter in August at the Harare International Conference Centre was deemed “controversial” by Salam’s camp who felt they had been robbed of an outright victory, compelling the promoters to label tonight’s bout a “revenge or repeat” encounter.
Before departure, Gonorenda said that he would fight Salam again “any time and at any place” and this time it will be in Salam’s backyard with neutral judges agreed by both camps.
A visibly emotional Salam said: “I clearly won that fight. Gonorenda knows it, the Zimbabwean crowd knows it, the millions who watched it across Africa know it.”
Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
Black Rhinos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1
Nichrut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
NICHRUT lost further ground in their survival bid when drawing against Black Rhinos at the National Sports Stadium yesterday, but interim coach Michael Ngore remained adamant his club will survive the chop.
The Shurugwi side occupy the last relegation slot and they needed to win yesterday’s match against a sloppy Rhinos to keep a two-point gap between them and the closest team — Chapungu — in check.
Chapungu were more ruthless thumping Highlanders 4-0 to boost their own survival chances. It could have been even worse for Nichrut who were missing their veterans Rodreck Mutuma and Themba Ndlovu, had Black Rhinos goalkeeper Herbert Rusawo not gifted them with an equaliser nine minutes from time.
The Rhinos ‘keeper needlessly punched what should have been a routine one-touch save from Ephraim Mwinga’s effort with the ball falling onto the path of Gerald Bhero who tapped home.
Rhinos had taken the lead mid-way through the first half when Augustine Mbara rose highest to nod home a lofted Farai Banda corner. Nichrut could have equalised on the stroke of half time but Bhero crashed his effort against the cross bar.
DYNAMOS’ huge gamble to appoint inexperienced coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe is bearing fruit after they continued with their fine run when they overcame Herentals at Rufaro Stadium yesterday to pull further away from the relegation matrix.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
Valentine Kadonzvo is hoisted after scoring Dynamos’ first goal against Herentals FC at Rufaro Stadium yesterday
Chigowe was plucked from the obscurity of the club’s junior teams after the club parted ways with Lloyd Mutasa following a spate of dreadful results that had seen the team slide into the murky waters of relegation.
It was a bold decision by the club hierarchy and they have been vindicated so far, as the interim coach has now guided them to three successive wins. Following this win, DeMbare are now one win away to secure their status in the league.
Mablanyo, who the supporters are already warming up to, has not lost a match at home since taking over the hot seat.
Yet it was unthinkable that the unassuming coach would turn around the fortunes of the team, whose destiny had become a subject of debate.
Yesterday, it was that man Valentine “V11” Kadonzvo, who once again shone the brightest, opening the scoring just two minutes into the match with a superb goal worth of a goal of the season award.
It was his third in the last three matches.
The former Pamushana High School student picked the ball wide on the left and nut-megged two defenders before squeezing a low shot into the left corner of the post.
On a day when match-day referee Ruzive Ruzive hogged the limelight for making some questionable decisions in favour of Herentals, it was Dynamos who looked more determined to win this one.
Herentals forward Gibson Chaibva also came close a minute after Kadonzvo’s footwork had bemused the home side defenders, but his effort went wide
But as Dynamos continued to impose themselves on the match, they had a penalty appeal waved away by Ruzive moments later when Carlos Mavhurume handled the ball inside the penalty area.
Blessing Moyo, the captain of the day for Dynamos, nearly doubled the lead with a stunning free kick from the edge of the area on 28 minutes.
Then Kudzanai Dhemere doubled the lead after 53 minutes, with a header from a pass by Moyo. Thereafter, Chigowe’s men were all over their opponents, launching wave after wave of attacks.
But to their credit, Herentals proved difficult to break down in the closing stages. But in the end, it was Dynamos who walked away with a deserved victory which saw them move back to 11th position with 40 points.
Dynamos host Triangle next in the league, the same team they are playing on Sunday in the Chibuku Super Cup semi-final.
Mablanyo was left purring on the performance of his players, in particular the “improving” Kadonzvo.
“Obviously, it’s satisfying to collect three points on the trot. The team looked beautiful against Herentals today. They dominated and kept possession, but in the dying moments of the match we lost discipline, I was not happy because the game can turn on its head and we will have to work on that,” Chigowe said.
His counterpart, Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva, admitted they lost to a more determined side, but blamed his side for lack of discipline.
“It’s a game I can say we went to sleep. It’s a game we lost due to lack of concentration. We conceded in the first minute of the match and we conceded the second goal five minutes after the break, that showed we lack determination. Dynamos had the determination, hunger and the fighting spirit. We were not ourselves today in attack, defence and in fighting,” he said.
Teams
Herentals: P Tafiremutsa, T Benza (B Majarira, 46’), C Mavhurume, W Kapumha, W Chimbetu, G Chinobva (J Mutudza, 54’), I Benza, B Maunganidze, R Hachiro, P Chota, B Majarira (H Chikoza, 46’)
Dynamos: S Chinani, B Moyo, P Dube, P Makaha, J Tigere, G Mukambi, K Dhemere, (C Kapupurika, 70’), G Saunyama, (J Marufu, 77’), M Mukumba, Q Kangadzi (T Macheke, 43’), V Kadonzvo
ZIMBABWE national rugby team coach Peter de Villiers could fail to see out his two-year contract as Sables coach after revealing that he is considering quitting his post due to family reasons.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
The 61-year-old former Springbok coach told the Afrikaans-language South African tabloid Die Son that he was contemplating stepping down in order to spend more time with his family in Paarl, Western Cape, after his daughter was recently diagnosed with cancer.
“My decision has nothing to do with rugby,” De Villiers said.
“My family comes first. As a father, I have to assist her and I would prefer to be with her today,” he said.
De Villiers, who last month survived the axe as Zimbabwe rugby coach after a disappointing first season in charge of the Sables, said he would make his final decision when he returns to Harare next month.
“At this stage, I haven’t made a decision. I will be back in Zimbabwe next month and that’s when I will make my final decision,” he said.
De Villiers signed a two-year contract with the Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) in February, with the main task of guiding the Sables to their first Rugby World Cup since 1991.
Instead of aiming for a World Cup berth, the Sables ended up fighting relegation from the Gold Cup, only managing to avoid demotion on the last day of the World Cup qualifiers with a victory over Uganda in Kampala.
Zimbabwe finished fifth on the six-team log with eight points, after drawing against Morocco and suffering defeats against Kenya, Tunisia and Namibia before their only win against Uganda.
ZRU, however, decided to pledge its full support to the veteran coach following its review of Sables’ dismal 2019 Rugby World Cup qualification campaign.
NICHRUT made life difficult for themselves in their struggle to avoid relegation when they dropped two points against Black Rhinos at the National Sports Stadium yesterday, a result that left them deep in murky waters.
BY GARISH PHIRI
On days when all their relegation rivals picked maximum points, Nichrut also needed to collect all the three points to give themselves a fighting chance.
However, they had to dig deep to even get the point and could look back frowningly at this result when the final tallies are made at the end of the season. Rhinos, who are not really secure themselves, as they need another point to be sure, went ahead on the 25th minute when Augustine Mbara connected home with his head off a Farai Banda corner kick.
The visitors fought back, looking for an equaliser and almost got it on the stroke of halftime, but Gerald Bhero’s shot struck the cross bar.
They pushed harder in the second half and were duly rewarded with nine minutes remaining when Bhero fired in a rebound after Rhinos goalkeeper Herbet Rusawo had spilled a powerful volley by Ephraim Mwinga.
Both teams pushed for a winner in the closing stages of the match, but in the end, a draw was probably a fair result.
With the draw, Nichrut remains stuck on 15th position, the relegation cut-off point, but their coach Michael Ngore said they will take the point.
“For us, every point counts now, especially when we get it on the road. Nobody gave us a chance, but we came and got one point, fair enough. We were playing a good side as you saw and I hope this sets the tone for us in our bid for survival. Definitely we will survive; we still have three rounds of matches to play. It’s not time for us to give up the fight, so we will fight on. We still feel that the destiny is still in our hands,” Ngore said.
Black Rhinos coach Herbet Maruwa was also satisfied with the point, knowing that if they pick another one in their next match away to Chicken Inn, they would be safe from relegation.
“Sometimes football is not fair, (because) after controlling the better part of the game my boys went to sleep just for a minute and they got punished. But still the point is okay,” he said.
Black Rhinos: H Rusawo, E Chirinji, B Homora, F Banda, A Mbara, V Mhandu (M Mambare, 56′), W Kapinda, T Jaravani, L Chiunga (H Chimutimudzeve, 87′) W Taderera (K Dhlamini, 65′), D Mudadi
Nichrut: T Jabangwe, N Mpinduki, S Sithole (C Rusere, 70′), D Boriwondo, W Pakamisa (T Hapazari, 52′), E Mwinga, F Vimisayi (A Kanchwanchwa, 80′) A Maliselo, N Moyo, G Bhero, A Nhongo
AIRFORCE side Chapungu are two wins away from safety after hammering Highlanders in a drama-filled Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Ascot Stadium yesterday.
BY TERRY MADYAUTA
The match had to be stopped for 28 minutes due to crowd trouble, when some Highlanders supporters invaded the pitch in anger after provocation by one of the goalscorers, Edmore Muzanenhamo.
The former Bosso player opened the scoring on the 51st minute with a powerful freekick from outside the box and stupidly ran to celebrate the gem in front of the Highlanders supporters who reacted by pelting him with missiles.
Some fans went overboard and ran onto the pitch to confront the player. Chapungu striker Allen Tavarwisa was injured in the melee, sustaining a head injury after one missile landed on him.
Fortunately, he was treated and managed to continue with the game.
Police was called in to restore order, but it took them almost half an hour to do so.
When the situation calmed, it was Chapungu who went onto score again, when Philip Marufu tapped home an Allan Tavarwisa cross two minutes after the match resumed.
Tavarwisa then piled more misery on Bosso, capitalising on a slip by Vincent Moyo, to slot the ball past Bosso goalkeeper Nedrick Madeya on the 68th minute for Chapungu’s third.
Clive Rupiya wrapped up the scoring when he weaved past Moyo and Charlton Siamalonga before beating Madeya with a nicely taken low shot.
Highlanders missed a golden chance to go on front just before the halftime break when they were awarded a penalty after Collen Kwaramba clattered on to Nigel Makumba.
The former picked himself up, but fluffed his lines from the spot-kick, which proved to be the turning point of the match.
“After they missed a penalty, we went to the break and re-strategised, hence we came back strong. I am happy that we won, considering the background that we are fighting relegation. It’s a massive win for us and the sweetest win of this season. I have been insisting that we can survive relegation, looking at the quality of players at our disposal and the capabilities of the technical team,” Chapungu head coach Rodwell Dlakama said.
Highlanders gaffer Madinda Ndlovu (pictured) was disappointed after the defeat.
“This is a game that we need to forget and go back to reboot the minds of our boys and look forward to the next game. It’s a bad day in the office. I cannot crucify my boys for a game they did not come to the party,” he said.
BULAWAYO City became the third team to be relegated from the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League despite picking their third win on the trot over ZPC Kariba at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
City needed to win their game, which they spectacularly did, but also needed relegation rivals Chapungu and Nichrut to drop points in their respective matches.
While Nichrut were held to a draw, Chapungu romped to a massive victory against Highlanders to effectively condemn Bulawayo City to the unfashionable Division One.
With three games left before the end of the season, City, who are on 25 points, can only reach a maximum 34 points, which is enough to only leapfrog Nichrut (33 points), assuming that the Shurugwi-based team lose all their remaining matches.
Bulawayo City joins Shabanie Mine and Mutare City Rovers, who are already relegated.
Quick goals by Sipho Ndlovu on the 42nd minute and another by Trevor Ndlovu three minutes later gave City their third win on the bounce, but it was a case of too good a little too late for them, as they go down with a whimper.
ZPC Kariba scored their goal through a beauty by Dexter Phiri from a free-kick on the 58th minute.
The Kariba-based side that looked like they were safe a few weeks ago, have now been dragged into the relegation dogfight after this defeat.
At 41 points, they are far from being safe after almost all the teams below them picked maximum points in this midweek round of fixtures.
ZPC Kariba only picked themselves up in the second half following a below par and negative first half where they barely fashioned any chance.
Teams
Bulawayo City: K Nyoni, H Ncube, Z Ngodzo, Z Sibanda (B Phiri, 55′), C Ncube, R Pavari, S Ndlovu, T Ndlovu (N Ndlovu, 51′), T Banda, L Nyathi (T Tavengwa, 68′), T January
ZPC Kariba: T Mawaya, T Ranthokoane, D Phiri, S Appiah (B Matukure, 34′), I Nekati, T Munyanduri, G Mangani (M Demera, 46′), B Zuberi, T Nyamandwe, D Temwanjira, T Chamboko (S Makawa, 78′)
ZIMBABWE were the biggest movers of all the African countries on the Fifa rankings released yesterday, following their impressive performance in the back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this month.
BY HENRY MHARA
The Warriors beat the Leopards 2-1 away in Kinshasa before holding the same 1-1 in Harare to collect four points, results that put them on the brink of 2019 Cameroon Afcon finals qualification.
They need just one point from their remaining two matches to book their ticket to next year’s Afcon finals.
Those two solid performances saw them becoming the biggest climbers of the African countries on the rankings, up seven spots to 110 in the world. In Africa, the Warriors moved three places to 27.
Tunisia remains the top-ranked side in Africa and are up one place to 22 globally.
World Cup winners France dropped one place to leave Belgium the highest ranked team overall by just one point.
THE annual Black Label Pool tournament provincial qualifiers will take place today, with all provinces selecting their respective representatives for the national final to be held next month.
This year’s edition of the premier pool tournament has drawn over 2 150 participants and seasoned campaigner Tendai “Inspector” Mubaiwa is likely to miss out.
Mubaiwa, who won the 2015 edition of the tournament in Bulawayo and went on to claim second place behind Blessing Chatoma in 2016 and went out in the semi-finals last year in Mutare, believes he is not ready for the competition although he will attend the Chitungwiza qualifiers today.
Mubaiwa said he is currently concentrating on his business of supplying pool accessories like tables, cue sticks, chokes and balls.
“I am not sure if I am to take part this year but if I am to take part then I expect a good outing.
“I think I am not in the right frame of mind considering that I was a runner-up at two national competitions this year.
“Everyone expects to improve from his last outing and I have to do that,’’ said Mubaiwa.
The CBL National Pool Championships have become a very successful tourney on the domestic front. This year has seen the tourney increasing its participants’ base by over 150 players.
Pool Qualifiers Locations
Mutare (Gaintz Sports Bar), Gweru (Tim Night Club), Victoria Falls (Chinotimba Tarven), Kwekwe (Musopero Night Club), Bindura (Hearts of Oak), Chinhoyi (Town Sports Bar), Harare 1 (Mindy’s Leisure Centre), Chitungwiza.
IT will be showtime at Midlands Christian School in Gweru when the Southern Sevens rugby tournaments busts into life this morning.
The inaugural event powered by funding from a Bulawayo company Sable Chickens is expected to feature senior men’s and senior women’s sides with participants drawn from local Colleges and University Clubs.
The tournament is expected to be held in three cities with the first tourney being held in Midlands (Gweru) followed by Mutare and the grand finale in Harare.
Zimbabwe Rugby Union vice-president Martin Shone who is leading the organising committee of the tourney said yesterday that they were ready to successfully stage the tournament as all the teams have been preparing well in their respective provinces.
“Most of the facilities are ready as well as the practising and playing grounds. We are ready and we have been finalising the finer aspects of the preparations.
“The motive behind this inaugural tournament is to grow the sport of rugby especially the sevens as well as try and assist the coaches to select best players out of the competition and groom them for the national team.
“Our main aim is to create a platform to raise awareness and engage the general public and corporate world so that they will be aware of what is taking place and have full knowledge about the sevens tournaments”, said Shone.
Shone said among the 13 senior teams which have confirmed their participation is a club from Botswana – Spartans – who are bringing a men’s senior team and will add an international flavour to it the tourney.
Others include Matebeleland men’s two teams and ladies two teams, Gwanda men’s, Midlands men’s two teams, MSU select, Midlands ladies, Zambezi ladies, GZU men’s and ladies.
THE ZIFA Referees Committee have called on football authorities in the country to quickly deal with football hooliganism at stadiums by coming up with deterrent measures to avoid the continued scourge.
Football stadiums have recently been reduced to “a hard hat area compromising the safety of numerous stakeholders who throng venues to watch games.
Ascot stadium in Gweru this week witnessed sickening scenes on two different occasions when hooligans ran amok turning the venue into a war zone.
It began on Sunday in the Premiership promotion decider pitting TelOne and Tongogara at Ascot where hooligans claiming to front the interest of vanquished Tongogara assaulted their opponents’ fans as well as baying for the blood of the match officials. The chaotic scenes left numerous fans hospitalised including ZIFA Central Region board member marketing, Pithias Shoko while many vehicles were damaged during the mayhem. Four days later at the same venue again, thugs who claimed they were Highlanders fans ran amok and were only cowed into submission when the Zimbabwe Republic Police came in with reinforcements. The barbaric scenes caused a 28-minute stoppage of the match which ended in a 4-0 mauling of Highlanders by host Chapungu.
ZIFA Referees Committee vice-chairman Gladmore Muzambi said yesterday such a trend must not be tolerated by authorities as it hampers on the development of the game.
“Authorities need to come with punishments deterrent enough to avoid a repeat of such behaviour which is now very worrying. “Violence compromises the safety of not only match officials but all the stakeholders who would have come to enjoy football. “Football stadiums are meant for entertainment but if violence is not curtailed it will not be a surprise if most people stay away from the stadiums which will not be good for football.
MAIN Circuit racing returns to Donnybrook Raceway in Harare tomorrow with the staging of the Rossi Tyre Race Day, which will be the last event of the year.
Rossi Tyre are the main sponsors of the race and is the last of the eight events held between Harare and Bulawayo this year. Tomorrow’s race day will see various classes of Saloon and sports cars battle for the top spots in their respective classes. Race organising committee chairman Jim Perry said it’s going to be very close racing in most of the classes.
“It’s the last event of the year for both the Sables Championship and the National Championship.
“There is four in Harare and four in Bulawayo, so we had eight events across the country. This will be the eighth one.
“It’s going to be a very close racing. I think there have been 32 entries of motor cars already and the point situation in most of the classes are extremely close for first, second and third. So anybody could take it,” said Perry.
RYAN Cairns was the best placed Zimbabwean golfer at the Sunshine Tour’s Sibaya Challenge Golf Championship at The Woods Mount Edgecombe Golf Course in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, yesterday. The Royal Harare-based professional finished tied on position 11 with seven other players on seven under-par.
The Sibaya Challenge was the final event in the Sun International golf series.
Cairns together with fellow countryman Marc Cayeux were the only locals who managed to make the cut after the decisive first two rounds.
MANICALAND Athletics Board chairman Joshua Matume says they are hopeful of another exciting edition of the Old Mutual Vumba Mountain Run half-marathon today with most of the country’s top athletes expected to take part. The winners in the 21km race, which is the main event, will get $1 500 for both men and women. There is also 10km and 5km races on offer. Matume said they are expecting an increase in terms of the numbers as the race has continued to grow in leaps and bounds over the years.
“We are expecting about 800 participants. Last year we had 700, this year we are looking at 800.
“The event is actually growing to our expectations. We are in a very good partnership with our sponsors. Each and every year it’s growing,” said Matume. With most of the country’s top long and middle-distance runners set to grace the event as they prepare for regional international events, Matume said it’s going to be a tough competition.
“This is going to be a tough race, each and every time the athletes will be fighting to improve their times. We are actually expecting the defending champion Canisious Nyamutsita, Lyno Muchena and Rutendo Nyahora… Those are some of the athletes we are expecting.
“It helps us to shape up our athletes… Some will be preparing for international and regional events and they take advantage of this race. Most of our top athletes in the country will be here, it’s like the last top event in the country,” Matume said. Nyamutsita first won the race in 2016 before retaining the title last year. However, he is not reading much into his past performances going into today’s race.
“I have not been able to really prepare specifically for this race because I had another race in South Africa a week ago. So it’s very tricky but of course it’s all about winning. It may not go my way but winning is always the target.
“Vumba is very tough, it’s a mountain run so it’s more about endurance and mental strength. The other top athletes will also be there, so it’s not going to be easy,” said Nyamutsita.
The sponsors have indicated that there will be other relatively attractive prizes in the juniors, veterans, masters and grandmasters categories as well.
“There is $18 000 up for grabs in the 10km and 21km categories. The main prizes will be for the winners in the 21km category where both the fastest male and female athlete will take home $1 500 each.
“There are other relatively attractive prizes in the juniors, veterans, masters and grandmasters categories.
“We are expecting a bumper field of athletes drawn from all corners of the country. Familiar big names are likely to be Chiedza Chokore, Bertha Chikanga, Rudo Mhonderwa, Canisious Nyamutsita and Kelvin Pangiso,” read part of the statement by the sponsors.
Patience Garauzive is the defending champion in the women’s category.
Besides the Vumba Mountain Run, Old Mutual also sponsor the Westgate half-marathon, Nkulumane half-marathon, Harare marathon, Dangamvura Fun Run and the Chitungwiza Fun Run.
GROUP G underdogs Liberia have begun preparations for the make-or-break African Cup of Nations qualifier against log leaders Zimbabwe set for next month.
The Liberian Football Association confirmed yesterday that the Lone Star will host the Warriors on November 18 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville.
Zimbabwe are unbeaten in the qualifiers and are on the verge of securing a berth at next year’s finals in Cameroon with a point from their last two matches.
The Warriors lead the pack with eight points ahead of pre-qualifiers favourites DRC who have five points.
Congo-Brazzaville are third in the group with four points while the Lone Star are bottom, again with four points.
They still have a mathematical chance of qualifying for Cameroon but they would need to punch above their weight to claim one of the two tickets available for the finals.
This has forced coach Thomas Kojo to call for an early camp with some of the local based players who make up his AFCON squad.
The association yesterday announced that they will continue with the training camp until the clash with Zimbabwe.
“Coach Thomas Kojo has assembled 25 local players for training and they have been joined by Malaysian based Kpah Sherman who is currently on vacation at the ATS.
“The Lone Star has been training for the last two days ahead on the crunch November 18, 218 qualifier against the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
“The training will continue next week at the ATS until the match day which Liberia needs to win to have any hope to making it to Cameroon 2019,” said the association on their website.
The Lone Star of Liberia on secured their first win when they beat Congo 2-1 win at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex earlier this month.
The Lone Star needed to win following a three game winless run in the qualifiers. The coach however will have to do with most of the foreign based players who include Boison Wynney De Souza of RCD Mallorca II, Teah Dennis playing in Oman, England based Mohammed Sangare who plays for Newcastle United, Murphy Oscar Dorey of Slovan Liberec, Sylvanus Nimely of Spartak Moscow II and Sam Johnson who is playing his club football in Norway for Valerenga.
The other forign-based players missing are Anthony Laffor of South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, William Jebor of Wydad Athletic Casablanca, Terrence Tisdell of San Joanense of Portugual, Seku Conneh of South Korea’s Ansan Greener.
THE gloss was taken off Sean Williams’ unbeaten career best of 129 in 143 deliveries after Zimbabwe ceded the third and final One Day International cricket match to Bangladesh by seven wickets at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium last night.
When it looked like Zimbabwe, 286-5 (50 overs), would end the barren spell, Bangladesh were defiant as they came through to score 288-3 (42,1 overs) in a rapid chase and set up a 3-0 series whitewash.
Williams (10 fours and a six), Brendan Taylor (75 off 73 balls), Sikandar Raza Butt (40) and Peter Moor (28 off 21 balls) pillared the innings to post Zimbabwe’s highest total at ZACS but the Chevrons appear to have missed probably 30-40 runs more.
Whatever Zimbabwe achieved in putting up on the board, Bangladesh doubled it in quick time powered by a 220-run second wicket partnership between centurions Soumya Sarkar (117 off 92 balls) and Imrul Kayes (115 off 112 balls).
Seamer Kyle Jarvis (1-47) had struck gold with the first ball trapping Liton Das lbw with the first delivery and this turned out to be the only hopeful celebration Zimbabwe had for the night.
From there, Bangladesh came charging at the Zimbabwean bowling attack with the baptism of fire never ceasing until the Tigers purred home at close to seven runs per over.
Even the wickets of Sarkar at 220-2 in the 30th over and Kayes at 274-3 in the 40th over brought no joy for the Chevrons whose bowlers failed to hunt down or at least cage the Tigers.
Earlier, Zimbabwe lost the toss for the third time in the series hence didn’t have a choice.
A little bit more that Masakadza wanted, batting through and deep as requested by batting coach Stuart Matsikenyeri is what the majority of Zimbabwe’s top six gave out to make what looked to be a competitive target.
Surely there was an improvement in the way batters went through their business especially at the death where Zimbabwe took 77 runs in addition to being in charge for 37 overs.
The three opening overs belonged to Bangladesh who had Zimbabwe on its knees at 6-2 after removing openers Masakadza (two) and Cephas Zhuwao (three-ball duck); both bowled by Abu Hider (1-39) and Mohammed Saifuddin (1-51) respectively.
It was definitely a frightening start but Taylor and Williams led a tremendous recovery and navigated through the first powerplay that saw Zimbabwe have only 35 runs before taking an aggressive approach that took the Bangladesh bowlers to the sword.
The pair put 132 runs for the third wicket with Zimbabwe’s scoring rate hovering around five run per over in spite of Nazmul Islam (2-58) efforts.
More meaningful partnerships were emerged with Williams and Raza Butt adding 84 runs and then the former with Moor contributing 62 runs more.
All these efforts went in vain as Zimbabwe’s bowling wasn’t tight enough to defend the total for the second successive game that has had the same win margin.
However, Zimbabwe will continue seeking solutions to their shortcomings as they now shift attention to the two-match Test series.
Match summary
Zimbabwe 286-5 (50 overs): (Sean Williams 129*, Brendan Taylor 75, Sikandar Raza Butt 40; Nazmul Islam 2-58, Abu Hider 1-39, Mohammed Saifuddin 1-51)
DYNAMOS’ fall from grace this season has been so rapid, if not embarrassing for the Harare giants, and it seems almost unbelievable that they were the same side that was battling FC Platinum for the league title just last season, pipped on the last day of the campaign by just two points.
BY HENRY MHARA/KENNETH NYANGANI
While FC Platinum continued with their good work, and continue to improve, Dynamos swerved off on a totally different direction.
The Zvishavane side are a point away from retaining the title. In contrast, DeMbare need to win at least one of their remaining three matches to survive relegation.
DeMbare have endured a difficult season under Lloyd Mutasa and Biggie Zuze, but everything has suddenly brightened up since Lloyd Chigowe took over.
The interim coach lost his first match in charge, a 2-0 away to FC Platinum, but he recovered well to post three wins on the bounce against Caps United, Black Rhinos and Herentals last week – in a revival mission spearheaded by rising star Valentine “V11” Kadonzvo.
So far, things could hardly have gone any better for Chigowe, although he concedes that their next fixture, a Chibuku Super Cup semifinal match against Triangle at Rufaro Stadium tomorrow, will give a real test of his team’s revival.
The lowveld team have been punching above their weight this season, and from finishing 25 points behind Dynamos last season, they are ahead of the Harare giants by 11 points this term.
“It’s satisfying that we have managed to collect three wins on the trot, but the biggest challenge is that we have another humdinger of a match on Sunday. I hope we will manage to recover well, and be able to be fresh for that match,” Chigowe said.
Triangle scrapped past an already relegated Mutare City on Wednesday in a league match, a game they never got out of the first gear. They didn’t need to. The Taurai Mangwiro-coached side are fourth on the league table, and are almost assured of finishing in that position, or better.
Chibuku Super Cup, thus, inherently becomes their top priority from hereon.
“https://www.newsday.co.zw/2018/10/dynamos-headed-for-homestretch/Triangle are tough opponents and our suspicion is that they are reserving their best for the Sunday match because they are already safe, they are not fighting relegation (like us), so they can afford to play in first gear and we are forced all the time to play at the highest level. But we will give it our best shot because this is our only chance to gain some glory in 2018,” Chigowe opined.
When the unassuming Chigowe took over, his plan was to grind as many points as possible and ensure that the team is safe. Thereafter, he promised the fans “beautiful football”.
Asked after the 2-0 win over Herentals on Thursday – a result that almost assured DeMbare safety – if the team’s fans will start to witness the beautiful football, Chigowe responded: “The tricky part is that I had not realised we are playing Triangle (in the Chibuku semifinals), and then Triangle again in the league next. So probably, we will have to be more pragmatic, but probably, yes, we will bring in some beauty going forward.”
Having gone with a second string side in the 1-0 victory match against Mutare City, Triangle coach Taurai Mangwiro is expected to call back all his big guns for this one.
“We are promising a good match against Dynamos. This is going to be an interesting match, because we are also aiming to reach the final of this competition. We have a headache (for squad selection), because youngsters that played against Mutare City Rovers managed to put up a good performance,” Mangwiro said.
CAPS United have gone through a difficult 2018 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season, where they barely challenged for the league title and will finish in a disappointing mid-table position.
BY GARISH PHIRI
Lloyd Chitembwe
The Green Machine have escaped criticism despite their troubles, but this week, temperatures boiled over when they lost their third match in as many games, with fans venting their anger.
Coach Lloyd Chitembwe had to take matters into his own hands and issued a personal apology following a 2-1 defeat to Yadah Stars on Wednesday.
That apology cooled things, but one feels it will be only a temporary reprieve if the Green Machine fail in their last hope of turning a mediocre season into a fruitful one in the Chibuku Super Cup, where they face Harare City in the semi-finals this afternoon.
The Green Machine faithful will demand that their club at least wins this competition so that they have something to brag about.
Their match against Harare City will come down as one of the most important that they have played this campaign as they seek to breathe life into their campaign.
Caps United have had conversion problems upfront, where they have been struggling for goals, particularly in the second half of the season.
This is one area that they will have to fix in today’s match if they are to upstage Mark Harisson’s side, which is looking to defend their title.
Chitembwe admitted that the team’s struggles had been at the point of the attack and promised to fix those problems next season.
But he knows all too well that the Caps United fans that are expected to throng Rufaro Stadium this afternoon will be expecting an immediate turn-around.
The championship-winning coach has tried so many strategies this season, including playing Milton Ncube as a striker.
He also played around with several combinations upfront, where he has shuffled John Zhuwau, Wisdom Mutasa, Brian Muzondiwa and Mitchelle Katsvairo, but he has found little joy.
In this competition, Caps United have played two matches and in those 180 minutes, they have drawn blanks, only succeeding via the penalty shoot out on both occasions.
They know they can continue relying on that path, but they will need to start scoring if they are to win this competition.
“We had time to correct a lot of things. We have three league games remaining and the Chibuku Super Cup semi-final. Everyone wants to participate on a grand stage and in this case, I think the Chibuku semi-final is a grand stage for us,” Chitembwe said.
It will be interesting which tactics Chitembwe will use in order to get the best out of the team’s attack combination.
Harisson, on the other hand, has not had the problems that Chitembwe has faced.
He will be looking to see his team dominate possession, as they usually do, but they know they will have to be careful playing out from the back against a hungry Caps United side.
“We are well prepared for this game. It’s been a hectic week as we had two games, but we are prepared. We trained (yesterday) in the morning. It’s not going to be easy because they will come highly competitive going in to this cup semifinal. There might be one or two changes in our squad, but we will be as strong as we can be,” he said.
Harrison’s men are the most successful team in the competition, having won it twice since its re-introduction in 2014.
Unlike Caps United, they will be playing without the baggage of expectation.
Apart from the $75 000 cheque, winners of the Chibuku Super Cup will represent the country in the Caf Confederations Cup next year.
Lewis Hamilton joined one of sport’s most exclusive clubs in Mexico when he became just the third driver to win a fifth Formula One world title.
His fourth-place finish at the Mexico Grand Prix on Sunday lifted him into the company of the sport’s true greats, joining seven-time champion Michael Schumacher and fellow five-time winner Juan-Manuel Fangio – who he describes as “The Godfather” – in the F1 pantheon
To have won more than men like Australia’s Jack Brabham, fellow-Briton Jackie Stewart, Austrian Niki Lauda and Brazilians Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna as well as modern day rival Sebastian Vettel is a spectacular statement of achievement.
The son of a black father and a white mother, who survived a broken home in his youth, Hamilton (33) grew up on a municipal housing estate in Stevenage where his father Anthony at one time held down three jobs to fund his son’s embryonic racing career in karts.
His journey was unprivileged and without luxury, but it was clear from an early age that he had an outstanding gift for speed and all the gutsy natural instincts of a born racer.
In 1995, aged 10, and wearing a jacket and shoes borrowed from his predecessor as British Formula Cadet karting champion, he went to a glittering awards ceremony in London where he met McLaren’s then-boss Ron Dennis.
He asked for an autograph and told him “one day I want to race for you”. Dennis replied: “Phone me in nine years and I’ll sort you a deal.”
The McLaren chief did not wait that long. After less than three years, he agreed to support Hamilton’s passage through the junior formulae en route to his F1 debut with his team in 2007.
Bold, determined and individual, he almost won the title in his first record-breaking season as he reeled off nine successive podiums from his debut in Melbourne, rocking the establishment along the way with his speed and his style. On and off the track, he was fast, somewhat mercurial and occasionally tempestuous and this combination led to a fierce rivalry with team-mate and two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who left McLaren at the end of the year.
That was a signal of how tough it was to be for all his future team mates as Hamilton, who narrowly missed out on the 2007 title, returned to triumph in 2008 with a dramatic last-gasp fifth-place finish in Brazil.
He also showed frustration as McLaren failed to deliver the speed to beat Vettel and Red Bull, who reeled off four straight title triumphs from 2010 to 2013, by when Hamilton had departed for Mercedes. –
Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
LOCAL football stakeholders have hailed Harare-based Galaxy Football Academy after their Under-12 team charmed spectators in the Zambia Independence Day junior tournament in Lusaka last week.
The event was held as part of the celebrations to commemorate that country’s Independence anniversary last Wednesday.
And the Galaxy academy Under-12 team was invited to be part of the 10 teams which participated including one from the United States.
They were enlisted by the Zambians after conquering in all the local tournaments they played this year.
Galaxy reportedly turned on some polished displays in Lusaka, charming even neutrals in an event they bowed out in the semi-finals.
The performances were too good to ignore for other Zambian academies which have since invited the team to take part in their own tournaments.
Harare City chairman, Alois Masepe, a proponent for junior development, said it was good to have academies participating in such high-profile tournaments as it helps expose the young players to more competitive environment.
“It’s quiet commendable to have a team of Under-12 kids go outside the country and become exposed at such an age. Those individuals deserve to be respected, they are playing a key role in junior development which is what the country needs at the moment.” said Masepe.
“We have always been saying, players need to be developed from a tender age. This is the stage when they can quiet master the technical aspects of the game whilst progressively develop to become the stars we want to watch at the stadiums. It is very encouraging to see academies sending their teams outside the country.
“The reason why other countries are now performing better than what they used to do in the past is that they have invested a lot in junior development.
“Grassroots soccer development is what we should all be thriving for. If we play our part in nurturing talent, then our future will be bright as a country. What this academy did is an example of what we need as a country in terms of development,” Masepe said.
CAPS United legend, Alois Bunjira who was developed in an academy in Chitungwiza hailed the team.
“Some of us grew up in such academies with such vision.
We would like to see more efforts from such passionate clubs so that our country’s future football stars are well nurtured.
“Actually the soccer mother body, ZIFA should push for development. We should see more of these. This develops interests within the kids and this is the stage when they should start preparing for professional careers.”
Galaxy also won two individual awards at the tournament with Courtney Tsamba walking away with the player of the tournament award whilst Mudiwa Gurupira was the most disciplined player.
Their coach Fungai Kumwaza expressed satisfaction with their tour of duty.
“As Galaxy Football Academy we really feel proud and honoured but to be honest words cannot express how we feel. The positives are so many more than the challenges.
“We won two individual awards, Courtney (Tsamba) won player of the tournament while Mudiwa (Gurupira) won the most disciplined player of the tournament.”
Meanwhile, ZIFA have hailed teachers after they formed the Zimbabwe Teachers Sports Association as they bid to develop grassroots sport.
ZIFA technical director Wilson Mtekede welcomed the development and said it will open more windows in terms of grassroots sport development.
“Teachers play a major role in the development of grassroots sport. They are all coaches and referees by default and they need to be capacitated and I think what they have done is what is needed for them to be empowered,’’ said Mtekede.
The association’s founding president, Tapiwa Ndewere said it will be easy for the members to organise coaching clinics at a central place rather have teachers travel long distances for a two-day training.