NGEZI Platinum coach Takesure Chiragwi and his men were full value of their 2-0 triumph as they made light work of a clueless Bikita Minerals in a Castle Lager Premiership encounter that was played before a nearly empty Sakubva Stadium in Mutare yesterday. Given their outfright dominence, it was not even noticeable that the reigning Castle Lager Premiership outfit was missing three key players in Gareth Madhake, Qard Amin and Talent Chamboko. The platinum miners were first off the blocks with an entertaining brand of attacking football, which was duly rewarded early in the sixth minute when 2023 Castle Lager Premiership Golden Boot winner Takunda Benhura curled the ball into the net a few yards from the box, beating a flat footed Victor Machopa, in goals for the hosts.
The jittery Machopa almost gifted the visitors another goal four minutes later when he failed to deal with center forward Moses Demera’s shot as he almosted howled the ball into his own net but luckily for him, there was no Ngezi Platinum player close by to tap in the rebound. In fact, Ngezi Platinum were literally firing from all cylinders, and in the 23rd minute, forceful left winger Tapiwa Mandinyenya was back to torment the Bikita Minerals rear guard. However, his hard and low shot was parried to safety by Machopa.
Bikita Minerals came close to restoring parity in the 30th minute when Chris Makambira got to the end of a fine exchanges and released a thunderbolt that hit the upright when Ngezi Platinum goa.
