Bulawayo Chiefs to build on Dembare win

IT was a weekend of firsts for Bulawayo Chiefs Football Club who registered their first win of the 2023 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season, recording their first win against giants Dynamos in Harare emerging 3-2 victorious.

Promoted into the Premiership in 2018, Chiefs were facing DeMbare for the seventh time in a league match, with Sunday's meeting at the National Sports Stadium being their fourth clash in Harare.

Before the infamous 3-2 win that left Dynamos fans calling for the sacking of coach Herbert Maruwa, Chiefs' three visits to the capital saw them playing to a 0-0 draw in 2018, played out to a 1-1 stalemate in 2019 and lost 2-0 last season.

Even in Bulawayo, Chiefs struggled against the former champions as they went down 1-0 in 2018, won the 2019 tie 2-0 and lost 2-0 last season.

Having lost quite a number of players, as well as coaches Nilton Terosso and Thulani Sibanda after winning the 2022 Chibuku Super Cup, Chiefs brought in Lizwe Sweswe to lead their technical team.

Despite a slow start to the season that saw them head to the DeMbare tie third from the bottom with three points from three draws and two defeats, Chiefs who are playing some entertaining flair under the championship winning coach with FC Platinum were confident of stunning Dynamos.

Chiefs' players responded positively to Sweswe's call for sharpness, scoring all their three goals through headers.

Mthokozisi Msebe fired them into the lead connecting a Farau Matare cross.

Msebe then came up with two assists, flighting in two corners that were headed in by veteran midfielder Danny "Deco" Phiri.

Chiefs held their nerves, even when Dynamos drew level through a controversial penalty awarded by referee Tichaona Mbire who adjudged that Amakhosi Amahle skipper Malvin Mkolo handled in the box when the ball came off his knees.

DeMbare skipper Frank Makarati converted the spot kick with the second goal coming from Tanaka Shandirwa.

Now out of relegation as they sit on position 14 with six points, Sweswe wants his players to build from the DeMbare victory.

"The victory has always been coming. It took time for the boys to grasp the style I wanted as we didn't have much time during preseason. Now as games go by, we're improving with every outing, rectifying our mistakes as we go to get positive results.

"In matches we've played, starting with the game against FC Platinum which we lost 2-1 in Zvishavane, we created more chances, we did the same against Chicken Inn and you could see that the boys' confidence levels are rising.

"Now this victory gives us confidence which we want to build on and the boys trust the process.

"Now we just have to remain humble, keep on working and use the victory against Dynamos to plan for the next assignment against Yadah," said Sweswe.

So brave and daring was Sweswe on Sunday that he gave the trio of goalkeeper Khulekani Dube, defender Kim Sibanda and Brian Rusinga their first test against the country's giants.

Dube, Sibanda and Rusinga were brought from Southern Region Division One Soccer League side Talen Vision and are in their maiden Premiership season. They put in a good shift.