Nine-Man Yadah Stun TelOne FC in 1 ALL Draw

By Kuchineyi Lewis

An afternoon of high drama unfolded at Ascot Stadium as Yadah FC came from behind with just nine men to secure a stunning 1-1 draw against hosts Telone FC in a Premier League clash filled with goals, red cards, walk-offs, and missed opportunities.

Despite finding themselves two men down, Yadah showed remarkable resilience, tactical discipline, and fighting spirit to claw their way back into the match.

Telone took an early lead through Washington Navaya, but the game quickly turned on its head when Yadah goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda was shown a straight red card for a crude foul on the same player.

Matters worsened for Yadah when Valentine Musarurwa received his marching orders for stepping on Leroy Murape’s head after he had fouled him, reducing the visitors to nine men.

The referee’s decision prompted Yadah head coach Maxwell Takaendesa Jongwe to lead his team off the pitch in protest.

“Some of these antics are just to have the boys cool down, there was a lot of adrenaline, and I could have lost more players.

“We just wanted to regroup and come back,” explained Jongwe after the match.  

After a brief five-minute hiatus, Yadah returned to the field with renewed determination.

Surprisingly, it was the depleted side that dominated proceedings thereafter, controlling the midfield and creating better chances in the second half.

“With a bit of luck, I thought we could have won this game, despite being nine men, we got the chance to kill off the game.

It’s always good to get at least a point, but I feel we could be carrying home all three,” said Jongwe.

TelOne, on the other hand, were left to rue a missed opportunity against a numerically disadvantaged opponent. Head coach Herbert Maruwa did not mince his words post-match.

“One of the worst performances from the boys.

“We had two men up but failed to utilize it. I’m very, very disappointed with the way the boys expressed themselves,” said Marowa.

The result leaves both sides with plenty to reflect on. For Yadah, it was a spirited display against the odds. For TelOne, a frustrating afternoon that ended with more questions than answers.