Onward Gangata
Dynamos, Caps United and Scottland all lost in a weekend were TelOne registered their first win of the season.
We give a review of the match day 9 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League weekend.
1. The return of Makunike
After an underwhelming start to life at Hardrock having moved during the pre-season, midfielder Junior Makunike announced his arrival at the Kwekwe side.
He did it with aplomb scoring two goals as Hardrock punished a lerthargic FC Hunters in a 6-1 win.
This was Makunike’s first start at Hardrock, he was deployed in a more advanced role despite looking overweight the former Dynamos man did just enough to justify his inclusion.
“The motivation is believing in yourself,” he told the Premier Soccer League media.
“I told myself I was going to score and I got the goal. We are not yet there but we are trying,”
2. Scottland not invincible
Scottland may not be as strong as many would have thought at the start of the season.
Having hammered Dynamos 5-0 in the Castle Challenge Cup, the reigning league champions looked invincible.
However, the Norman Mapeza coached side are finding the going tougher and their title defence even more challenging.
It will take a bit more from the star studded side to retain the league title.
The Mabvuku side suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of a resurgent Simba Bhora.
Mapeza rallied his troops to bounce back strongly from losing their first match of the season.
“These things do happen in football, as a coach I knew this day would come, what is important when you fall is how you get back up,” said Mapeza.
3. Dembare, Makepekepe lose ahead of Harare derby
Dynamos and Caps United will head into the much anticipated Harare derby on Sunday smarting from defeats this past weekend.
Caps United who had, a week earlier opened a five point lead at the top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League were brought back to earth in a 1-0 home defeat against Bulawayo Chiefs.
Dembare on the other hand got stuck in Bulawayo losing 2-1 to Chicken Inn.
Dynamos coach, Genesis Mangombe feels his side needs to do better in games of this magnitude.
“I think we need to do better when playing teams like Chicken Inn,” Mangombe said.
“They really wanted the win and we should have done better and tried not to concede.”
4. TelOne finally gets it right
Having endured a torrid start to the season, going for nine matches without a win, TelOne finally got it right.
A 2-1 victory at Gibbo is by any means sweet but for TelOne it was more than just a win.
It was restoration, a reset of their campaign which has already claimed a casualty in coach Herbert Maruwa.
The former Dynamos coach was relieved of his duties midweek although the club tried to be diplomatic about it
TelOne will however, feel more confident going into the Midlands derby against red-hot Hardrock on Saturday.
5. Saruchera feels betrayed
It is not every day that you see a 6-1 scoreline in local football, and that may have rattled FC Hunters coach Nesbert Saruchera.
Having watched his team slump to a season record loss, the former Zimbabwe youth international had no kind words for his players.
He felt his players may have given the match away, calling for an internal investigation.
“It was not easy for us,” Saruchera told reporters, “This is my first time conceding six in a league game, I think something fishy is happening in our camp.”
