Valentine Kadonzvo came off the bench in the second half to score the decisive goal for Dynamos in their CAF Confederation Cup second round, first-leg match against Botswana’s Orapa United at Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown on Sunday.
Kadonzvo, who netted from just outside the box in the 87th minute, was sent on during the 75th minute for Emmanuel Paga.
Dynamos displayed a commanding performance, backed by a significant number of fans from Botswana, as well as those who travelled from Zimbabwe.
Among the attendees were former Highlanders coach Mandla Mpofu and former striker Zenzo Moyo, both based in Botswana.
After the match, DeMbare coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe said the 1-0 scoreline did not accurately reflect his team’s dominance throughout the game. He said (via The Herald):
I told the boys that we travelled for a win. We got the goal towards the end of the match which does not give a good reflection of a match that we dominated. However, it’s a job well done despite our wanting travelling arrangements.
Orapa United coach Gadimang Tiiso conceded defeat, saying they “lost to one of the best clubs in Zimbabwe.” Said Tiiso:
We lost to one of the best clubs in Zimbabwe. It was a game of two halves, we cannot kill the boys. They did well defensively only to concede in the last minutes of the match. We tried to match Dynamos, I think we will do well in the second leg. Dynamos were very compact.
Dynamos will host Orapa United in the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup tie at the same venue next weekend.
Currently, Zimbabwe lacks a single stadium approved by the CAF, which forces the national team and local clubs participating in CAF competitions to seek suitable venues in other countries.
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