By Flata Kavinga
Kwekwe United Football Club produced a strong performance to defeat visiting West Nicholson FC 3-1 in a ZIFA Central Region Division One Soccer League match played at Baghdad Stadium today (Saturday).
The hosts secured all three points courtesy of goals from Ricky Bota, Donald Ngoma and Johanes Sibanda, while Leo Hofisi scored the visitors’ lone goal.
The victory was a welcome response for Kwekwe United after dropping points in their previous fixture against Good Morning FC.
Speaking after the match, Kwekwe United head coach Tendai Chikuni praised his players for adapting to changes made to the starting line-up following a demanding run of fixtures.
“We played three games in seven days, but we made some changes again today. We changed the goalkeeper and also made adjustments in midfield. Anyone within our team can play, and I am happy that we managed to collect three points,” said Chikuni.
He added that tactical adjustments, including introducing Kevin into midfield and resting Moyo, contributed positively to the team’s performance.
“Today we changed a bit tactically by bringing in Kevin Kanganga in midfield and benching Enock Moyo. There are some aspects we are still working on with him, but overall I am happy with the result,” he said.
Chikuni also acknowledged the absence of injured player Jaure, whose presence he said was missed by the team despite attending the match from the stands.
“Football is all about competition, but we really miss his presence. It was good to see him supporting the team,” he said.
West Nicholson FC head coach Ofhani Muleya described the result as one of his side’s poorest performances of the season and admitted he had expected a better outcome.
“To be honest, this is one of the worst performances and we did not expect such a result. We need to go back to the drawing board and correct where we went wrong,” said Muleya.
He attributed the defeat partly to lapses in concentration and individual errors, saying his team struggled to settle into the match.
“There were some lapses in concentration and human errors. We started on a low note and found ourselves under a lot of pressure,” he said.
Muleya also revealed that travel difficulties may have affected his players’ preparations after the team experienced a vehicle breakdown on their journey to Kwekwe.
“These guys had a lot of fatigue because we had a breakdown on our way. We arrived much later than expected and the players did not get enough time to rest,” he said.
The result strengthens Kwekwe United’s campaign as they continue their push for promotion, while West Nicholson FC will be looking to bounce back in their next league outing.
