By Delicious Mathuthu
Gweru, Zimbabwe – In a dramatic turn of events, TelOne FC secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Bikita Minerals during a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at Ascot Stadium in Gweru on Saturday, courtesy of a late penalty in the 3rd minute of added time.
The match, which had been a closely contested and largely uneventful affair, was decided by a penalty call that sparked a heated reaction from the Bikita Minerals players and some of the supporters.
The game had ended regulation time at 0-0, with both teams struggling to convert scoring opportunities.
As the match wore on, however, TelOne FC grew increasingly desperate for a win after three consecutive draws, while Bikita Minerals seemed content with securing a point away from home.
The turning point came in the 3rd minute of added time when a desperate Bikita Minerals defender committed a foul in the 18-yard box, resulting in a penalty kick for TelOne FC.
Premier Soccer League current top goal scorer, Washington Navaya, calmly converted the spot kick, bringing his tally to 8 goals in 10 matches.
The penalty decision, however, did not sit well with the Bikita Minerals players, who mobbed the referee, Mhaka Magari, and the far-end assistant referee for over 5 minutes, questioning the call and claiming it was a missed decision before it was taken.
The situation escalated further after the final whistle, with angry Bikita Minerals players and a few supporters charging towards the referee, only to be stopped by some of their staff members and anti-riot police who safely escorted the match officials off the field.
Speaking after the match, TelOne FC coach Herbert Maruwa expressed his satisfaction with the win.
“Coming from three consecutive draws, I’m happy with the response from the boys. We did very well in the first half.
“We could have buried the game in the first half. We got two clear chances but we failed to score and we gave them time to come back into the game and lastly, we got a winner.
“I’m very, very happy with the progress of the team,” Coach Maruwa said.
On the other hand, Bikita Minerals coach Wilson Mutekede was visibly frustrated with the match officials.
“I think football-wise, we did what a football team should do in terms of playing. Created several scoring opportunities that we could not convert in the first half and in the second half,” he said.
Mutekede said in the second half, while the game looked like it was a balanced affair the control of the game got out of hand.
On the match officiating, Mutekede said: “I’m afraid to say this, I’m not naive, I’m not a novice in terms of elite football, but definitely those that are supposed to control the game, if they are seen to be aiding certain teams, it’s not the right thing.”
Mutekede said he was expressing his sentiments from ‘a sense of the burden for Zimbabwean football.’
“When we should compete at this level and when you want to call our elite league an elite league, honestly it deserves better handling.
“And this was not the kind of handling that I thought from officials that are deemed to be elite match officials,” Mutekede said.
The win sees TelOne FC move up the league table to 5th position from 7th before Sunday matches, while Bikita Minerals will be looking to regroup and maximise on their next week encounter back home.
