By Fanuel Chinowaita
MUTARE, 17 April 2026– Tenax Football Club and Mutare City Rovers settled for a 1-1 draw in a tightly contested local derby played at Mutare Boys High School today, with both sides showing resilience in a match defined by moments of brilliance and lapses in concentration.
Playing at their home ground, Tenax were forced to come from behind after Mutare City Rovers opened the scoring in the 33rd minute through their lively forward, Alpha Tswatswa. Wearing the number 7 jersey, Tswatswa capitalised on a defensive lapse to slot home and give the visitors a crucial first-half lead.
Despite going into the break trailing, Tenax regrouped and returned with renewed determination in the second half. Their persistence paid off at 16:24 hours when Clarence Mbauya rose above the defence to head in the equaliser, sending the home supporters into celebration.
Speaking after the match, Tenax head coach Vincent Mutemera expressed satisfaction with the outcome, highlighting the competitive nature of the fixture.
“A 1-1 result against Mutare City is, for me, a good outcome. This was a derby, and historically there has always been a very thin line between these two teams,” said Mutemera.
“We showed character to come back after conceding first. These are the kinds of matches where mentality counts, and I am pleased with how the boys responded in the second half.”
Mutare City Rovers coach Brian Mukundu also acknowledged the intensity of the encounter, though he lamented his side’s failure to hold onto their lead.
“The game was OK, considering it was a local derby. These matches are always competitive and unpredictable,” said Mukundu.
“We did well to score first, but we failed to defend properly. We conceded from a free header on the right side following a cross from the left, which is disappointing because those are situations we should manage better.”
The result leaves both teams with a point apiece in what was a spirited contest that lived up to its billing. While Mutare City Rovers will rue missed opportunities to secure maximum points, Tenax will take confidence from their comeback as both sides continue their campaigns.
The derby once again underlined the fine margins that define clashes between the two Mutare-based teams, with neither side able to assert clear dominance over the other.