Prince Cheese
Vhembe Stars Academy (1) Tongogara (1)
Vhembe Stars secured a gritty away point against Tongogara FC on Friday afternoon, as the two sides played out a tactical 1-1 draw in their Division One clash.
The visitors drew first blood in the 29th minute through a clever set-piece routine. A short-pass free kick caught the Tongogara defence off guard, allowing Vhembe to slot home the opener and silence the home crowd.
However, the hosts responded immediately after the break. In the 48th minute, a pinpoint cross from the far right found the Tongogara striker, who powered a clinical header into the net to restore parity.
Despite dropping points at home, both camps remained optimistic about their progress early in the campaign.
Vhembe Stars Assistant Coach Blessing Madombi expressed satisfaction with the result, saying the lack of experience in his squad.
“We are happy with a point since it is the first time most of our players are playing in Division One. All aspects of the game need to be tied up. We hope to take three points at home in our next game against Chapungu on Monday after correcting a few mistakes.”
On the other side, the Tongogara Head Coach Freddie Friyday ‘KAKA’ Mudado viewed the draw as a building block for the rest of the season.
“Since the season began, a draw is not a bad thing. There is room to correct our weaknesses in order to get three points at home in upcoming games,” he told Ziyah News Network.
He said Vhembe controlled the first half and looked comfortable in possession, though they created little threat.
“They capitalized on our poor organisation from a free kick to take a 1–0 lead into halftime but we responded strongly in the second half, dominating play and scoring an early equalizer. Vhembe then slowed the game with effective time management, disrupting our rhythm.”
He gave credit to Vhembe’s coaches and players, especially their captain, for their confidence.
“I’m also proud of my boys for showing character after conceding. On balance, we pushed hard in the second half and were unfortunate not to take all three points. Both teams showed promise for the season ahead,” said Mudado.