Mhondoro-Ngezi – Castle Larger Premier Soccer League defending champions Ngezi Platinum Stars registered their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Manica Diamond Monday afternoon.
A well-taken header by Claude ‘Pokello’ Mapoka in the 39th minute, which was also the first goal of the campaign for the champions, proved to be the difference at Baobab stadium.
The champions had been without a win in their first three games, losing once and drawing twice.
Ngezi started strongly in the first half, creating several clear scoring chances with good build-up play and movement in the final third. Their best early opportunity saw captain Qadr Amin hit the left post directly from a corner kick in the 8th minute.
Only two minutes later another Ngezi attack was well-saved by Manica Diamonds goalkeeper Geofrey Chitsumba. From then on, it was all Ngezi as they dominated possession and tested the Manica defence repeatedly.
The goal came from a free kick in a dangerous area, with Amin’s delivery met by a powerful header from Mapoka that flew into the back of the net.
Manica struggled to maintain possession or build attacks of their own in the first half, often clearing the ball long without success.
The second half saw the intensity drop as Manica searched for an equalizer without much threat. The visitors made a substitution in the 64th minute, bringing on new signing Kuda Mahachi, but he was unable to make an impact on the match.
In the end, Ngezi’s clinical finishing and dominance in the first half proved enough to secure all three points in a game that could have seen them score more goals based on their opportunities.
Click here to listen to Ngezi Platinum head coach Takesure Chiragwi’s post-match interview on our Facebook page
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