Fungai Muderere
STRIKER Terrence Dzvukamanja and defender Ronald Pfumbidzai made a winning start at SuperSport United as they beat Kaitano Tembo’s Richard’s Bay 2-0 in the opening match of the South African Premiership on Saturday.
They both lasted 90 minutes, with Dzvukamanja, who joined from Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates, scoring the opener after 56 minutes.
Tembo, a longtime player and later coach at SuperSport, joined Richard’s Bay during the off season and suffered defeat on his return to Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Knox Mutizwa missed a golden opportunity to find the target, but provided an assist as Golden Arrows scrambled a 1-1 draw with Moroka Swallows.
Mutizwa’s brilliant pass set up Siyanda Mthanti for a 51st minute opener before Swallows equalised 13 minutes from full time.
Meanwhile, former Warriors goalkeeper Energy Murambadoro has thrown his support behind ex-Dynamos and senior national team goalminder George Chigova, who has been unwell for some time.
Chigova, who is in the books of SuperSport United together with his four countrymen, Washington Arubi, Pfumbidzai , Onismor Bhasera and Dzvukamanja, was reportedly diagnosed with a heart ailment, which could compel him to prematurely hang up his gloves.
“It’s really painful to hear of such news. I pray and hope the boy will soon be up and about. He has to soldier on. He needs everyone’s support. We should all give him a shoulder to lean on as he has been Zimbabwe’s goodwill ambassador in South Africa. I wish him a speedy recovery,” said Murambadoro, who was part of the Warriors squad that made the country’s debut appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2004.
The imposing Murambadoro, who also had playing stints in South Africa and Israel, added:
“Chigova should take it easy; it’s a challenge and it’s part of life. He should not hurry to bounce back into action.”
Chigova (32) is reportedly not training with SuperSport and he was not part of the squad which went for a pre-season camp in Durban.
SuperSport head coach Gavin Hunt was a few days ago quoted by Idiski Times saying:
“I have not been briefed on the diagnosis or the whole thing, I’m not a doctor. But I know that there is a problem that we are attending to at this point in time and we will know in the next week or so.
“He’s going to spend four weeks just being inactive and go from there. It doesn’t look positive, but we will give him all the support we can and stay behind him as best we can. “