Fungai Muderere
THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League has begun and as predicted “it holds lots of unpredictability”. Local football lovers had a blasting opener right from the first whistle to the last.
This past weekend didn’t come short of upsets; we had lots of goals among other interesting developments.
B-Metro Sport gives you a quantitative round up of the games played in Week One of the Premier League. It’s an analysis of the winners, losers, results, goals and much more ahead of week two action set for Saturday and Sunday in every breadth and length of the country.
A total of 22 goals were scored in the 2019 season opener as compared to 14 goals that were scored last term. In 2017, 10 goals were scored in the season’s opening fixtures and of the 22 goals scored last Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 15 were home goals while the remainder was scored by away teams.
Last term, hosts scored 11 goals while three were snatched by visitors. In 2017, six of the goals were scored by away teams and the rest of them fell under the belt of home teams.
Just like in 2018, the 2019 term managed to produce two draws (Herentals 0-0 TelOne, Black Rhinos 1-1 Highlanders). Four draws (Shabanie Mine 0-0 CAPS United, Tsholotsho 0-0 Hwange, Harare City 0-0 Yadah FC, Chapungu 0-0 Triangle) were produced in week one of the 2017 season.
There was a single goalless draw in 2019.
For 2017 and 2018 season openers local football enthusiasts witnessed four goalless draws.
More 2019 Week One statistics
# FC Platinum’s Ali Sadiki got first goal of the season after 30 minutes into their game against Harare City
# Four (4) penalties awarded, all converted
# First yellow card of the season went to Harare City goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupangedengu in the 15th minute
# ZPC Kariba’s Ian Nekati got the first red card of the season
# Chicken Inn’s Clive Augusto and Dynamos’ Ngandu Mangala of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Chapungu duo of Brighton Mugoni and Ian Nyoni snatched braces for their respective clubs
# There were only six (6) home wins on week one of the 2019 season. Two wins registered away meaning there were seven straight wins and seven clean sheets kept.
# There were two away wins (Harare City 0-2 FC Platinum, Mushowani Stars 0-2 Dynamos) that were posted.
Newcomers Mushowani Stars and Manica Diamonds lost their first games while league returnees Hwange were the only “new” team in the league that managed to snatch a win as former Central Region Division One champions played a goalless draw against Herentals.
Last season, the now defunct Shurugwi side Nichrut were the first side to score when Spencer Masunda thrust them ahead in the 22nd minute through a free kick that reportedly beat Mutare City goalkeeper Alfred Chiname all systems out.
In 2017, the fastest goal of the season came from the boot of Chicken Inn’s midfielder Innocent Muchaneka who put his paymasters into the lead in the 18th minute in a match that they went on to clobber former PSL side Bantu Rovers 5-0.
Interestingly, local football lovers were also made to witness a five-nil drubbing in fixture number one of this term when Chapungu got the better of Bulawayo Chiefs.
That happened to be the season opener’s biggest scoreline.
In 2018, the biggest winning scoreline came from Bulawayo City (relegated) and Ngezi Platinum Stars who beat Chapungu and Herentals by identical 2-0 scorelines respectively.
Like they did in the past season, Chicken Inn started their campaign on a winning note. Last season they edged Dynamos 1-0.
As compared to nine different goalscorers that found the target in the past season’s match day one games, this year the country’s elite football league had 18.
The 2019 Week One single goal scorers were Simon Munawa (Chicken Inn), Nigel Makumbe (ZPC Kariba), Elvis Moyo, Ali Sadiki (FC Platinum), Moses Demera (Black Rhinos), Ariel Sibanda(Highlanders), Joel Ngodzo, John Zhuwawu (CAPS United), Allen Tavarwisa (Chapungu), Russel Madamombe, Kudzai Chigwida (Triangle), Barnabas Mushunje (Ngezi Platinum Stars), Shepherd Gadzikwa and Gilbert Zulu (Hwange).
What did you see that we didn’t? Let the games enter round two!
