Ngezi Platinum Stars Hold Defending Champions Scottland at Rufaro

Ngezi Platinum Stars battled to a 1–1 draw against defending Castle Lager Premier Soccer League champions Scottland in an entertaining encounter at Rufaro Stadium on Friday.

The visitors produced a disciplined performance and took the lead early in the second half after a competitive opening period that saw both teams play attractive football but struggle to create clear scoring opportunities.

Scottland nearly opened the scoring before halftime when Panashe Mutimbanyoka found himself in a promising position, only to squander the chance with the goalkeeper beaten.

After the break, Ngezi returned with greater intensity and were rewarded when Farai Madhanhanga struck a powerful effort that goalkeeper Nelson Chadya failed to contain, handing the visitors a deserved advantage.

The champions responded by increasing attacking pressure and eventually earned a penalty after Moses Shidolo was fouled inside the box. Walter Musona calmly converted from the spot to level matters for the Mabvuku-based outfit.

Both sides searched for a late winner in a lively closing spell, with Scottland pushing forward while Ngezi stood firm defensively to secure a share of the points.

Scottland head coach Norman Mapeza said he was encouraged by his team’s overall display despite dropping points.

“I am happy with the progress that we are making as a team. In some moments, our decision-making could have been better, but it is still early in the season and I am satisfied with the progress,” said Mapeza.

Ngezi Platinum Stars coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva felt his side could have handled key moments better, particularly the penalty incident.

“We started well but did not defend certain moments properly. On the penalty, we could have done better, and we felt it was a soft decision — maybe the referee could have been more lenient,” he said.