ASHER MOYO
CHIMANIMANI – New boys Chimanimani- based side Rusitu Tigers FC assistant coach, Gift Hanyana says he was pleased with the performance of his team after his charges brushed aside Mutare City Rovers in a ZIFA Eastern Region Soccer League match at home over the weekend.
Rusitu Tigers scored in the second half to secure a 1-0 victory over Gusha Bhora and the narrow win did not come as a surprise to the gaffer.
Rusitu Tigers were coming back from a disappointing show in their previous encounter against stubborn Bikita Minerals where they lost 3-2
In last weekend’s encounter, Rusitu secured all the three points through man of the moment and league’s top goal scorer Alpha Matsatswa.
He headed home in the 59th minute from a well taken free kick by Silas Pfaira.
Hanyana who is basking in the glory says his team played well despite being under a lot of pressure to produce favourable results. He admitted after the final whistle that Gusha Bhora, a former PSL side matched his side in all departments.
His side was supposed to play Ruwa FC but the match couln’t go on as Ruwa has asked for the postponement of their games.
“It was a good affair, a challenging match it was. Rovers almost killed us in the first half through Ngandu Mangala’s near post strike, but our keeper was equal to the task.
“It was pound for pound though they had problems dealing with high balls so we were rewarded with such a goal. Kudos to the boys for collecting maximum points from such a tough encounter.
“The game was tense from the first whistle till the end. We need to work hard on our mistakes. Yes, we won the match but there is a lot to be done. Most of our boys are new in the league so it’s a matter of keeping motivating them and try to give them confidence . We are now looking forward to our next assignment,” he said.
Hanyana also praised the goal scorer whom he described as a talented player.
“This young man is still learning. We will keep working on his weaknesses. This is his maiden season in D1 and he is giving a good challenge though,” he said.
Tigers have amassed 24 points from 14 outings. They are occupying sixth position which is not bad for new comers.
Wangu Mazodze is topping the table on 33 points, followed by Tenax with 31 points. Army side Buffaloes are third with 27 points while Bikita Minerals are fourth with 26 points. Rusape side Midway who are also new in the league are occupying fifth position with the same number of points as Tigers but are separated with a goal difference.
