ZVISHAVANE - Harare city coach Bigboy Mawiwi's woes mounted after his team lost their sixth Castle Premiership match on the trot going down 2-1 to FC Platinum at Mandava Stadium on Saturday.
City, who were league runners-up last season, have had a disastrous start to the new season losing all their opening matches to Chicken Inn, CAPS United, ZPC Kariba, DeMbare, Buffaloes and now Platinum.
Mawiwi’s position at the club is also now on shaky ground due to the poor start to the season although he still enjoys the support of the City chairman Leslie Gwindi.
It is difficult to comprehend how a side with City’s budget and squad has started the season on such a devastating losing streak.
Mawiwi had declared before the start of yesterday’s match that the Sunshine Boys were going to collect their first points of the 2014 season against the platinum miners.
His hopes of a first point or a win, however, went up in smoke as FC Platinum scored two second half goals through a penalty by Qadr Amin and Donald Ngoma.
The Sunshine Boys could be justified to cry foul over the way referee Maxwell Nyamhuri and his second assistant Thomas Kusosa handled the match.
Nyamhuri aided Platinum's win as he awarded them a dubious penalty in the 55th minute when the scores were still 0-0.
The referee penalised City midfielder James Jam for handling a cross from Ngoma inside the box.
It seemed to be a case of ball hitting the midfielder’s hand rather than an intentional handball against Jam.
Amin beat City goalkeeper Nomore John from the spot to give his side the lead.
The dubious penalty turned the match in the favour of the home side as the City players looked dejected after conceding.
Ngoma increased the scoring for the home side 10 minutes later when he tapped home a cross from Marshal Mudehwe.
City were handed a penalty of their own in the 94th minute after Gift Bello brought down Martin vengesayi inside the box.
Raymond Uchena slotted home the spot kick but it was too late for a City comeback.
After the match, Mawiwi was dejected with the result and blamed poor match officiating by Nyamhuri for his side’s sixth defeat of the season.
"The referee decided the fate of the game. His only decision that went our way the whole match was when he awarded that last minute penalty,” Mawiwi said.
“It was a genuine but the damage was already done. His officiating frustrated my players. Otherwise had it not been his officiating we could have won this game."
While Mawiwi was left frustrated by the officiating and the loss, FC Platinum coach Lloyd Mutasa was happy to collect his second victory of the season.
"We played well and deserved to win. It’s good that we are now starting to win at home,” said Mutasa.
“I am also pleased with the way the player acquitted themselves."
Teams
Platinum: Petros Mhari, Raphael Muduviwa, Qadr Amin, James MArufu, Gift Bello, Thabani Kamusoko, Michelle Katsvairo, Marshal Mudehwe, Allen Gahadzikwa, Donald Ngoma, Nelson Maziwisa
Harare City: Nomore John, Munyaradzi Diro Nyenye, Tongai Chiworeso, David Kutyauripo, Witness Nyamutsaka, James Jam, William Manondo, Nathan Ziwini, Agrippa Murimba, Misheck Mburayi, Talent Chawapiwa.