Dembare play under protest

Chicken Inn 2 - 2 Dynamos
LEAGUE champions Dynamos Sunday wrote to match commissioner Ndumiso Gumede raising allegations of match-fixing against the appointment of referee Hardly Ndazi before their nail-biting match against Chicken Inn that ended in a draw at Barbourfields Stadium.

The letter was signed by Dembare secretary-general Webster Chikengezha and Gumede, who Dynamos also accused of influencing the appointment of the match officials, acknowledged receipt of the hand-written letter he said would be handed over to the Premier Soccer League.

"We hereby register our complaint on the match official: (1) Mr H Ndazi has handled all our previous matches unfairly. We have registered our complaint but no action has been taken, (2) the match commissioner Mr N Gumede is the president of Zifa and we feel that he has influenced the appointment of match officials (3) our feeling is that this match has been fixed. We are therefore playing the game under protest," Chikengezha wrote.

Gumede is the acting Zimbabwe Referees Committee chairman and Dynamos' allegations came barely five days after another match featuring Highlanders and Triangle at the same venue brought a lot of debate with referee Bekezela Makeka under scrutiny.

Oscar Machapa was shown a red card for foul language at the match officials after the match, while skipper Murape Murape was also cautioned on the bench for dissent.

Dynamos came from behind twice to settle for a draw to render the championship to be decided on the last day next weekend as Harare City leapt to the top of the log-standings with a 4-0 demolition of Highlanders at Rufaro Stadium to increase their tally to 53 points.

Dembare and Bosso now lag behind by two points.

Chicken Inn drew first blood in the first minute of the game with a thunderous effort from inside the box by leading scorer Tendai Ndoro, who grabbed his 18th goal of the season engineered by veterans Clement Matawu and Mkhokheli Dube who had a beautiful game.

The fast foods outlet team then made it two in the 13th minute with another stinger by Brian Mbiriri from a set piece after Ndoro was fouled by Dynamos central defender Partson Jaure just outside the box and the ball just slithered past the visitors' goalkeeper George Chigova's armpit after going through the defence wall.

Dynamos coach Kalisto Pasuwa sensed danger as he was outclassed in the centre and immediately made a change bringing in Cliff Sekete in the 20th minute for Milton Makopa.

The coming in of Sekete improved Dynamos' game and resulted in their first goal by Tawanda Muparati who also packed a thunderbolt from a dead ball situation in the 26th minute before the league champions equalised through Sekete who hit the roof with another blinder that beat Chicken Inn goalkeeper Liberty Chirava from a Simba Sithole cross. Pasuwa said the title will be decided on the last day.

"We were lacking on concentration and conceded two quick goals and we came back and equalised. We will be playing until the last match of the season," Pasuwa said.

Chicken Inn coach Antipas said the match was a thriller and gave the thumbs up to Dube, whom he said has been affected by lack of game time.