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| Marere stunner marks Dynamos' greatest win
By
Sports Reporter DYNAMOS savoured their greatest moment in African football on Saturday night when they dumped champions Etoile Sportive du Sahel out of the Champions League with an impressive 2-0 aggregate win. Winger Benjamin Marere scored the winner in Sahel to double Dynamos’ 1-0 advantage from the first leg a fortnight ago. Desmond Maringwa, who was in the Dynamos team that reached the finals in 1998, scored the winner at Gwanzura Stadium. The Zimbabwean champions, through to the mini-league phase of the competition, hit a US$200 000 jackpot. Marere’s stunning winner came 28 minutes into this absorbing third round contest at a packed Stade Olympique de Sousse, and it was worth winning any match -- a blow potent enough to send the champions crashing out. Marere, found by Maringwa 25 metres out, caught the ball on the turn with a half volley to silence the home crowd. Before that goal, the Zimbabwean champions had been pinned back as Etoile poured forward in search of an early goal. Before Marere’s arrival, the star of the show had been goalkeeper Willard Manyatera who pulled off a string of saves that kept Zimbabwe’s most successful team in the hunt. Manyatera knew he had a busy night ahead the moment Etoile forced two quick corners in the 8th minute. Another wave of Etoile attacks followed two minutes later and skipper Mehdi Meriah held his head in disbelief as his long range effort flew just wide with Manyatera off his line. Manyatera was again summoned to the aid of his team on 20 minutes when he tipped over for a corner Mehdi Ben Diffalar’s flashing header from a cross by Moussa Narry, the Ghanaian midfielder. But having weathered the storm, Dynamos broke on the counter with Maringwa who quickly fed Marere. The Dynamos winger connected first time and Etoile goalkeeper Aymen Methlouli was left stranded. It was always going to require a valiant effort from the Zimbabwean team to keep Etoile at bay on their home soil. And having taken the lead, Dynamos set about preserving their advantage and frustrating the Tunisians. When Etoile appeared to draw level on 38 minutes, Brighton Tuwaya ghosted from nowhere to clear Amine Chermiti’s effort off the line. The Dynamos defence held firm in the second half, limiting the hosts to long range efforts. Etoile’s Nigerian forward Muriola Ogunbiyi fired just wide in one of the hosts’ more promising moves. Dynamos coach, David Mandigora, who reflected on this win as his finest moment in football, brought on skipper Murape Murape for Wonder Sithole just after the hour mark before sending on David Shoko to replace Marere who had run himself to a standstill. Dynamos faced more anxious moments towards the end as Guinea referee Keita Yakhouba added five minutes of injury time. Mandigora, running down the clock, threw in William Mapfumo for Edward Sadomba and they held on. Teams Dynamos; W. Manyatera; L. Maphuya; R. Mhlanga; B. Tuwaya; T. Sweswe ; S. Mutenheri ; D. Maringwa; J Majabvi; B. Marere (D. Shoko _82nd min); E. Sadomba (W. Mapfumo 90th min; W. Sithole (M.Murape 63rd min) 2008 Champs Lge fixtures and results Fixtures for the 2008 African Champions League Holders: Etoile du Sahel (TUN) Third Round 25-27/04/08: Asec Mimosas
(CIV) 0-0 Olympique Khouribga (MAR) 25-27/04/08: Zamalek (EGY)
3-0 InterClube (ANG) 25-27/04/08: Dynamos (ZIM)
1-0 Etoile du Sahel (TUN) 25-27/04/08: Cotonsport
Garoua (CMR) 3-0 JS Kabylie (ALG) 25-27/04/08: Al Ittihad
(LBY) 2-1 TP Mazembe (DRC) 25-27/04/08: Enyimba (NGR)
5-1 Club Africain (TUN) 25-27/04/08: Platinum Stars
(RSA) 2-1 Al Ahly (EGY) 25-27/04/08: Al Hilal (SUD)
4-2 Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) |
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