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Innocent Kurira in BULAWAYO

Bulawayo Chiefs . . . . . . . . (0) 1

Harare City . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

BULAWAYO Chiefs played for about 72 minutes with a man short, but found a way to snatch three priceless points at Luveve yesterday.

Chiefs defeated Lloyd Chitembwe’s Harare City in a battle of clubs facing relegation.

Defender Brandon Mpofu was sent for an early shower with just 18 minutes into the match after he plunged into William Manondo with an open-footed challenge. It left referee Mhaka Magare with no choice but to expel him.

At that moment, Harare City were the better side, but failed to turn their dominance into goals. The visitors were poor in the final third throughout the game, and were made to pay by Ghanaian Issac Badu in the 55th minute.

The towering defender rose highest to nod home a well-taken Shephard Mhlanga free kick. The goal saw the visitors launch an all-out attack on Chiefs, but the hosts were resolute in defence.

The hosts merely sat deep and created a defensive wall that Chitembwe’s men could not breach.

“I think it was a good game. The level of intensity applied by the boys was impressive,’’ said the Chiefs coach Thulani Sibanda.

“When we lost to Highlanders, we were coming from an overload of strength training and l had told the boys that we would soon be reaping results of the training programme.

“If we are to maintain this level of fitness, definitely, we will get results in the coming games.’’

Chitembwe said it was a disappointing day in the office. “This is very disappointing, I thought we controlled the game. It looked like it was going to be a very easy game, but then in football when things look easy, that is the time things are more dangerous.”