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HIGH TACKLE . . . ZPC Kariba left back Munyaradzi Kunyarimwe resorts to using his hands to try and stop Harare City’s Tatenda Tumba during yesterday’s game at Rufaro. — Picture by John Manzongo

Grace Chingoma : Senior Sports Reporter

Harare City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1)2

ZPC Kariba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0MOSES Chunga finally got his first victory on home turf yesterday since he became the coach of Harare City when he saw off ZPC Kariba in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League game at Rufaro yesterday.

The win also helped Chunga to complete a double over his mentor Sunday “Mhofu’’ Chidzwambwa as the Sunshine Boys won 1-0 in kariba.

Chunga was appointed head coach at the Sunshine Boys on June 1 and presided over a total of seven games including three home ties, but a home victory remained elusive for the well-travelled gaffer.

However, yesterday Chunga was left celebrating courtesy of a 13th minute header from defender Crispen Dickson before forward Martin Vengesayi sealed the match with a 90th minute long drive .

This victory came after Chunga had presided over a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Dynamos, a goalless draw against How Mine and a 1-1 draw against Chicken Inn at the same venue since he replaced former coach Taurai Mangwiro.

“Since I came at the club it was my first win at Rufaro so I will celebrate it. It is a great win for us we have been playing well, but without scoring goals it counted for nothing.

“I am happy with the way we are playing. I think today we showed our pedigree,” said Chunga.

However, the former Warriors captain said there is still a lot of work to do for his Harare City who are in the bottom half of the table.

“In the first half, we were all over them, but in the second half they came onto us. We still have a lot of games to go so we need to polish our act,” said Chunga.

Chidzambwa said yesterday’s match was one he would quickly want to forget after his charges displayed a deplorable performance.

“It is a game which we should quickly forget about because we played badly in all the departments. We tried to put pressure in the second half, but at the end we lost concentration. We played utter rubbish and tried to improve in the second half.

“In football you win by fighting and times by individual performance, but today there was none of that,” said Chidzambwa.

The wheels appear to be coming off the electricity men who have lost the kind of steam that characterised their start to the season.

They have not scored or won a match in their last seven outings.

“We have hit a bad pitch and we need to work really hard to regain our form. It is not a difficult task if all the coaches and the players pull in the same direction. As coaches you always hope for the best in each and every game,” said Chidzambwa.

Harare City defender Jimmy Tigere had to be substituted before the quarter hour mark after he suffered a concussion following a collision with his namesake ZPC midfielder Never Tigere in which he landed badly.

The defender had to be rushed to hospital in the second half of the match, but last night he was said to be in a stable condition and had regained his speech.

Harare City were in charge of the proceedings in the first period in which midfielder William Manondo could have found the opener, but fluffed his chance.

However, to his credit he immediately made amends when he whipped in a good corner from the right which met an alert Dickson on the other end to finely head into the nets.

After the break, ZPC returned with some urgency.

But the day belonged to Harare City who absorbed the pressure and in the optional time Francesco Zekumbawire, set up Vengesayi, who was yards outside the box to drill the ball home and send their small band of supporters into celebration.

Teams

Harare City: M. Nyamupangedengu, J. Tigere (T. Chimwemwe 18th minute), C. Dickson, M. Diro, A. Chivheya, T. Tumba (B. Maglas 78th minute), T. Samanja, W. Manondo (S. Muneka 64th minute), M. Vengesai, J. Jam, F. Zekumbawire.

ZPC Kariba: T. Hove, T. Munyanduri, M. Kunyarimwe, T. Nyamandwe, S. Appiah, B. Mutukure (P. Kabwe 60th minute), T. Mamvura, D. Chakupe, N. Tigere, T. Chawapiwa, L. Chikafa.