MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-Newly-appointed TelOne FC coach Saul Chaminuka suffered a humiliating start to his reign after the Gweru side slumped to a 3-0 thumping by Kwekwe-based moneybags Hardrock FC in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Midlands province derby at Ascot Stadium this afternoon.
The defeat came barely days after TelOne announced Chaminuka as the replacement for Herbert Maruwa, who parted ways with the WiFi Boys following a poor run of results.
Chaminuka had struck a confident tone ahead of the encounter, insisting he still had what it takes to succeed in the top flight and vowing to silence his critics through results.
But Hardrock spoiled the script in emphatic fashion, producing a ruthless display to hand TelOne one of their heaviest defeats of the season and pile immediate pressure on the new technical bench.
The Kwekwe outfit dominated key moments of the match and capitalised on defensive lapses from the hosts, leaving the Ascot crowd stunned as TelOne failed to respond despite enjoying home advantage.
The result further deepens TelOne’s struggles in a campaign that has already seen instability in the dugout, with supporters hoping the coaching change would trigger an immediate turnaround.
Elsewhere, defending champions Simba Bhora continued their strong run after edging ZPC Kariba 2-1, while Manica Diamonds cruised to a 3-1 victory over Agama.
League newcomers MWOS FC maintained their impressive form with a narrow 1-0 win against Chicken Inn.
At Mandava Stadium, FC Platinum and Scottland FC played out a goalless draw, while FC Hunters shared the spoils with Ngezi Platinum in a 1-1 stalemate.
Bulawayo Chiefs and Herentals produced a four-goal thriller that ended 2-2.
