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Black Rhinos, popularly known as ‘Chauya Chipembere’, were the first premiership club to be victim of the ongoing CBZ FA cup, losing to the lowly rated division one soccer outfit.
As if that was not enough for Black Rhinos, their captain Rowan Nenzou was shown the red card in the 52nd minute for fouling Lawrence Mwashita.
The Eastern Region division one side found their important goals through Albert Kandengwa and Wilson Chakanyuka, to seal victory for the division one team.
Chapungu United 3 – 0 Ajax Hotspurs
GWERU – Airforce of Zimbabwe premiership side Chapungu United demolished visiting Bulawayo second division soccer side Ajax Hotspurs 3-0 in a thrilling CBZ FA Cup match played at Ascot on Sunday.
The airmen of the Zimbabwe military salvaged their important goals through dependable and sharp shooting striker Francis Kanda, Edmore Chapfungamoyo and Tererai Zinyowera to bury the lowly rated division two outfit.
Veteran midfielder-cum-striker Clement Mugari was the man of the match as he created all the three goals.
Mugari did not score but was influential for the airforce of Zimbabwe soccer side as he dictated the pace in the midfield department of Chapungu, supplying front runners with clean balls.
Had it not been for wasting some gilt-edged chances, Chapungu could have recorded a bumper harvest.
Other CBZ FA Cup Results
CAPS United 2-1 Ali Sundowns, Njube Sundowns 1-1 Border Strikers, CAPS FC 2-0 Douglas Warriors, Mwana Africa 2-0 Highway, Motor Action 0-0 Gunners, Lancashire 4-0 SOS, Monomotapa 2-1 Tube and Pipe.
BRIEFS WITH FARAI MUYAMBO
Talkmore takes Paris
ZIMBABWE’S 400 metre champion, Talkmore Nyongani, won the international track and field competition in Paris last week. Nyongani came first in 45,61 seconds, which is inside the B Standard qualifying time of 45,95s for next year’s Olympic Games. Nyongani’s effort was enough to beat three of the four French 4x400m World and European Champions in 2003 and 2005’s Marc Raquil, Leslie Djhone and Naman Keita. The presence of big names during the race did not stop Nyongani from romping to victory as he moved up a gear in his preparations for next month’s All Africa Games in Algiers and the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, in August.
Matema joins Pirates
HIGHLANDERS sharp shooter Ralph Matema will be leaving the reigning champions to join Orlando Pirates in South Africa for pre-season training that started this week. Matema (24) last week successfully completed a series of medical check-ups at the popular South African giants.
Matema, last season’s top goal scorer, is scheduled to start training with the Buccaneers this Friday. His deal is reported to be R350 000 and will join other Zimbabweans such as Engelbert Dinha and Innocent Chikoya to don the popular black-and-white jersey. “If all goes according to plan, Ralph will start his first training session with Pirates on June 29. From Highlanders’ side, all formalities have been completed,” a source close to Highlanders said. Highlanders are on record as saying they negotiated with Pirates for the transfer of the player and that Pirates paid a down payment last year. Matema is currently Highlanders’ leading scorer, with nine goals in 10 games this season.
I’ll play on, says Sawu
FORMER Zimbabwe national team striker Agent Sawu has said he is not thinking about retirement just yet and could play for a few more years. Sawu (35) has been at Mvela League outfit City Pillars since February after spending six months club-hunting following his fallout with Durban Stars, whom he joined after the now-defunct Bush Bucks were relegated and sold. He moved to South Africa after being part of the history-making Warriors team which qualified for their first ever Nations Cup finals in 2004 in Tunisia The player, who also had a spell in Switzerland, is best remembered for helping save Imbabala from relegation when he arrived in South Africa three years ago from Zimbabwe. “I may be getting old, but I will continue playing for as long as my feet can still keep me moving competitively,” Sawu said. “The scoring touch is still there and the energy to cause chaos and run is still intact, so I feel I can still contribute as a player. I also live a clean life and I’m working extra hard all the time so that I stay fit like the younger players. Even the guys that I have been competing with at Pillars during the last season can bear testimony to my level of fitness,” he said.
BEYOND THE BOUNDARY, BY JAMES JONES
Will they, won’t they arrive?
THERE seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the proposed West Indies ‘A’ Cricket tour this week. The West Indies Cricket Board are keen for their side to visit Zimbabwe, unlike the players who do not want to go.
The WICB are reported to be struggling to put a decent side together for the short Zimbabwe trip. Most of the players they had in mind have either made themselves unavailable or are simply refusing to go.
Sylvester Joseph, who was originally named as captain last week, has declined the invitation to lead the side – or go as a player for that matter. It also emerged that Daren Ganga was offered the role on Thursday and he too turned it down.
The squad are due to arrive in Harare later this week, yet no squad announcements have been made, which also begs the question how competitive will their side be as they’ve had little or no preparation?
Lovemore Banda, Zimbabwe Cricket’s media manager, said that he was still optimistic. “We are just waiting to hear from them,” he said, “but we are hopeful the team will be travelling”.
The Zimbabwe squad have been in training for the past week in Harare. However, should the tour not go ahead, sources inside Zimbabwe report that a number of Zimbabwe players are awaiting on a decision by the West Indies before deciding whether to retire from international cricket.
Hick joins
cricket’s elite
BY JOHN HUGHES
GRAEME Hick, the 41-year-old Zimbabwe legend, has become only the 16th player ever to complete 40,000 runs in first-class cricket.
The man from Harare, who played for Zimbabwe as a teenager between 1983-86, is set to sign a new contract with Worcestershire that would keep him at the English county next year for a 25th season.
Harare-born Dale Benkenstein, the Durham captain, will lead his team out in their first Lord’s final. They clash with Shane Warne’s Hampshire in the Friends Provident Trophy showdown on August 18.
Two Zimbabweans suffered setbacks as the Twenty20 Cup programme got underway. Murray Goodwin scored a superb unbeaten 102 for Sussex in their six-wicket defeat by Essex at Chelmsford, while Hampshire’s Greg Lamb was out off the last ball as Kent snatched a dramatic tie at Southampton.