Top of the table thriller ends all square at Green Fuel Arena
The Green Fuel Arena lived up to its billing as Green Fuel Football Club and Africa Mineral Ventures Football Club battled to a 1-1 draw in a pulsating Week 5 Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League top-of-the-table clash.
The point means Green Fuel move to 11 points and AMV to 9, unchanged at the summit, and proof of just how fine the margins were.
No room for error, and neither side blinked.
Green Fuel bossed the opening 45, winning the midfield duels and dictating tempo.
Their dominance was rewarded in the 42nd minute when Timothy Phiri produced pure class.
After Green Fuel won another midfield tussle, Phiri took a pinpoint pass, glided toward the AMV box, shimmied past his marker, and curled a shot beyond the Tapiwa Chilenga’s reach, net bulging.
AMV weren’t passengers though. Adam Tende rattled the crossbar in the 33rd minute and forced a routine save with a tame 38th-minute effort after slick work from Ashford Nyamajiwa.
AMV assistant coach Chasten Ngondonga earned his pay at halftime.
On came Godknows Mutina and Edward Mafa, and the game tilted.
Mutina was instant impact.
Nyamajiwa, a menace all afternoon, was the catalyst again.
In the 73rd minute he collected near the halfway line, hit the afterburners down the right, left defenders in his dust, and lashed a shot that Victor Machopa could only parry.
The rebound fell kindly for Mutina, who poked home for 1-1.
Nyamajiwa continued to give the Green Fuel backline nervy moments before his late substitution.
At the other end, Dylan Nyakadzumbu and Tawanda Musariri stood tall to repel Green Fuel’s late surge for a winner.
Green Fuel head coach Arnold Jani was left ruing missed chances:
“To us playing at home we don’t think it was a good result, but besides that I think we did everything, only that the chances that we got we didn’t utilize them. You know playing at home doesn’t mean that you have got the home advantage. It’s modern football. All you have to do when you are playing at home is make sure that you bury the chances that you get.”
AMV assistant coach Chasten Ngondonga took the point with pride:
“I think we played very well and we are happy that we collected a point away from home. We were playing a team that is at the top of the log. We knew the game was going to be difficult but I’m happy with the comeback. The fighting spirit was there, they managed to recover after conceding a goal.”
A proper top-two slugfest. Green Fuel’s first-half control vs AMV’s second-half steel.
Phiri’s wand of a right foot vs Mutina’s poacher’s instinct.
Five yellows, zero reds, and two teams still unbeaten in the title conversation.
