Takesure Chinyama on a rampage in SA

FORMER Hwange hitman, Takesure Chinyama went on a rampage in South Africa, scoring four goals for Orlando Pirates as they hammered Djabal of Comoros, 5-0 in their CAF Champions League preliminary round tie at Orlando Stadium on Saturday night.

Bafana Bafana player Sifiso Myeni had opened the floodgates with a shot from the edge of the box. The night however, belonged to the big Chinyama who cut his premiership football teeth at the coal miners under the legendary Paul Moyo in 2003 where he played for a good three seasons before moving to Monomotapa and later on to Poland with Legia Warszawa before returning home to play for Dynamos. He scored his first goal in the 30th minute when he taped home a beautifully laid cross from Patrick Phungwayo who had made an overlapping run from the left.

Chinyama's positioning though  was in question as he was constantly caught offside as shown by his disallowed goal in the 37th before Pirates took a 2-0 lead to the interval.

In the second half, a rejuvenated Pirates side took the game to the visitors.

Myeni's cross in the 54th minute found Klate unmarked behind the Djabal defence, the winger headed the ball back to the on running Chinyama to make it 3-0.

A defensive error from Djabal saw a deflected Matlaba cross come off the woodwork for Chinyama to tap in for his hat-trick and Pirates' fourth in the 64th minute.

Roger De Sa rang the changes immediately, introducing Rudolf Bester, Ndumiso Mabena and Tlou Segolela in place of Klate, Okonkwo and Manyisa.

The changes proved troublesome for the visitors as Mabena set up Chinyama for his fourth of the night to make it 5-0 in the 70th minute.

Still in South Africa, Warriors captain Esrom Nyandoro, Method Mwanjali and later Nyasha Mushekwi were on song as they put up a five star performance for their ABSA Premiership outfit, Mamelodi Sundowns who demolished tricky Maritzburg United 3-0, with Mushekwi scoring the third goal, to record their first win in the second half of the season after a hearty 0-0 draw against Kaizer Chiefs on Wednesday night.

The Pitso Mosimane side have now scored nine goals and conceded just a single in their last five games, winning 2-0 against Highlanders in an international friendly at Barbourfields Stadium, beat Caps United 4-1 and drew with Dynamos 0-0 in the other international friendly matches at Rufaro Stadium.

Maritzburg United are home to former Chapungu, Highlanders and Dynamos striker Cuthbert Malajila who had a decent game as a lone striker while another Zimbabwean in the side, Terence Mandaza, set it on the bench.

Warriors' midfielder, Khama Billiat's Ajax Cape Town were left facing relegation following a morale shattering 0-3 defeat to Platinum  Stars in a match played at Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Ajax Cape Town are now level on points with second from bottom placed AmaZulu, home to Tapuwa Kapini and Carlington Nyadombo who themselves defeated Golden Arrows 1-0 to record their first win in five matches.

Kingston Nkhatha was in the starting 11 for Kaizer Chiefs and helped them record a come from behind sensational 2-1 win over Free State Stars that propelled them to the top of the log standings, two points to the better although second placed Orlando Pirates have a game in hand. Nkhatha was later substituted for Sthembiso Ngcobo.

Lloyd Zvasiya and Mathew Rusike were unused substitutes.

In Belgium, Vusa Nyoni was taken out two minutes before fulltime for Brice Ntambwe as his side Mons, lost for the first time since his move, going down 0-2 to Gent. Ovidy Karuru's OH Leuven were held 1-1 by visiting former Nyoni's side Germinal Beerschot with Karuru being taken out in the 69th minute for Stefan Gislasan from Iceland.

In Germany, Knowledge Musona was not even on the bench as Bayern Leverkusen beat his side Augsburg 2-1 to leave them firmly rooted in the relegation zone. Musona, despite enjoying numerous national team call-ups has only played 737 minutes for his Germany paymasters, out of a possible 1 980 minutes.