Budding striker Wilfred Madzungu was the toast of the day after scoring the first goal at Chahwanda Stadium, earning the Kwekwe-based side their first home win in the PSL over Chicken Inn on Wednesday.
Hardrock FC beat Chicken Inn FC 1-0 courtesy of Madzungu’s 52nd-minute strike. The 2025 Central Region Soccer League top scorer was introduced at the start of the second half, and his presence was instantly felt as Hardrock FC claimed their first win at Chahwanda Stadium.
Chicken Inn dominated early exchanges, with Binwell Katinji wasting two early chances. Katinji had a goal ruled out for offside in the third minute after heading the ball home from inside the box. He also missed a sitter after ten minutes, after rounding off goalkeeper Tonderai Mateyaunga, but instead of scoring, he opted to pass, allowing Hardrock to recover and defend.
From then on, Hardrock took control, but the teams were level at half-time. After the break, Madzungu’s impact sparked Hardrock’s dominance, and he headed home the winner. Chicken Inn struggled to click afterwards, with Hardrock’s Mateyaunga barely tested.
KELVIN KAINDU’S IMPRESSIONS OF THE SEASON SO FAR
Hardrock FC coach Kelvin Kaindu was elated as the Kwekwe-based side is yet to concede in three matches, having also collected seven points out of a possible nine.
“Unbeaten in three matches is a fantastic start to the season, and winning our first home game in our brand-new stadium, Chahwanda Stadium, was an incredible feeling. The energy from the crowd was electric,” Kaindu said.
“Our team is working hard, and we are seeing the results. We’re still a new team, and we are learning and improving with each game. We’re taking things one match at a time, but this win has definitely given us a boost heading into the next few games.
“Our team was jittery in the first half, but we did well to come back strong in the second half. Now, we are focused on keeping that momentum going. We have a tough run of fixtures coming up, but we are up for the challenge.”
NDIRAYA RUES MISSED CHANCES
Chicken Inn coach Tonderai Ndiraya was disappointed by the result. “It’s frustrating because we knew it was going to be a physical game, and we didn’t quite match that intensity in front of goal. We left too many opportunities. Binwell Katinji’s missed chance was a big blow, but we can’t pin it on one individual, we as a team didn’t deliver,” he said.
“We have to take a long, hard look at ourselves and figure out why we’re not converting our chances. Are we not clinical enough? Are we not working hard enough? Whatever it is, it’s unacceptable. We can’t keep giving away points like this.”
