News / National
Zimbabwe's Dynamos switches off Zambia's ZESCO
25 Aug 2024 at 11:17hrs | Views
ZESCO United 0 - 0 Dynamos
(Dynamos won 1-0 on aggregate)
Lloyd Chigowe urged his team to play with pride and fight like true soldiers against ZESCO United at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola. The Dynamos coach was rewarded with a gritty performance as the Harare giants withstood relentless pressure from the hosts to advance to the second round.
Midfielder Tanaka Shandirwa's 30th-minute goal from the first leg in Gaborone, Botswana, ultimately secured Dynamos' progression, eliminating ZESCO. Dynamos now await the outcome of this afternoon's clash between Orapa United of Botswana and Seychelles' Forrester to determine their next opponents. The two teams are tied 1-1 ahead of their match in Gaborone.
For Chigowe and his team, this victory marks a triumphant return to CAF inter-club competitions after a 10-year absence. Given Dynamos' recent struggles in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, few expected them to clear the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary stage.
In pre-match conferences, Chigowe had emphasized that Dynamos have the pedigree to compete with Africa's top clubs. However, the 60-year-old coach admitted that ZESCO put up a strong fight in Ndola.
ZESCO entered the game aiming to score early and cancel out Shandirwa's first-leg strike, forcing Dynamos to defend for most of the first half. Despite their dominance, the hosts were wasteful in front of goal.
In the 11th minute, ZESCO striker Alex Ngonga's poor final touch allowed goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa to easily deal with the threat. Dynamos, however, looked dangerous when they had chances to attack. Three minutes later, Emmanuel Paga was unlucky as his shot inside the box was blocked by ZESCO defenders.
Temptation Chiwunga made a promising run from the halfway line into the ZESCO box but missed the target in the 24th minute. Later, Issa Sadiki and Paga combined well to penetrate the ZESCO defense after 39 minutes, but the final touch continued to elude Dynamos as ZESCO finished the half strongly.
The second half remained dominated by ZESCO. Their standout player, Abraham Siankombo, saw his 60th-minute volley brilliantly saved by Tafiremutsa. Dynamos, displaying great confidence, absorbed ZESCO's pressure and looked to counter-attack. One such counter in the 70th minute almost paid off, as Shandirwa's volley narrowly missed the target.
(Dynamos won 1-0 on aggregate)
Lloyd Chigowe urged his team to play with pride and fight like true soldiers against ZESCO United at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola. The Dynamos coach was rewarded with a gritty performance as the Harare giants withstood relentless pressure from the hosts to advance to the second round.
Midfielder Tanaka Shandirwa's 30th-minute goal from the first leg in Gaborone, Botswana, ultimately secured Dynamos' progression, eliminating ZESCO. Dynamos now await the outcome of this afternoon's clash between Orapa United of Botswana and Seychelles' Forrester to determine their next opponents. The two teams are tied 1-1 ahead of their match in Gaborone.
For Chigowe and his team, this victory marks a triumphant return to CAF inter-club competitions after a 10-year absence. Given Dynamos' recent struggles in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, few expected them to clear the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary stage.
In pre-match conferences, Chigowe had emphasized that Dynamos have the pedigree to compete with Africa's top clubs. However, the 60-year-old coach admitted that ZESCO put up a strong fight in Ndola.
ZESCO entered the game aiming to score early and cancel out Shandirwa's first-leg strike, forcing Dynamos to defend for most of the first half. Despite their dominance, the hosts were wasteful in front of goal.
In the 11th minute, ZESCO striker Alex Ngonga's poor final touch allowed goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa to easily deal with the threat. Dynamos, however, looked dangerous when they had chances to attack. Three minutes later, Emmanuel Paga was unlucky as his shot inside the box was blocked by ZESCO defenders.
Temptation Chiwunga made a promising run from the halfway line into the ZESCO box but missed the target in the 24th minute. Later, Issa Sadiki and Paga combined well to penetrate the ZESCO defense after 39 minutes, but the final touch continued to elude Dynamos as ZESCO finished the half strongly.
The second half remained dominated by ZESCO. Their standout player, Abraham Siankombo, saw his 60th-minute volley brilliantly saved by Tafiremutsa. Dynamos, displaying great confidence, absorbed ZESCO's pressure and looked to counter-attack. One such counter in the 70th minute almost paid off, as Shandirwa's volley narrowly missed the target.
Source - The Sunday Mail
