Five-Star Makaruse Inspires Clinical Queens to Eight-Goal Romp at Mkushi Academy
Football is a game of fine margins, where success is so often dictated by what happens when a side enters the attacking third. For MWOS FC Queens, heading to the Mkushi Academy Ground on Saturday, August 29, the brief was crystal clear: turn dominance into clinical execution. Having been held to a frustrating draw by Herentals Queens Juniors just a week prior, a fixture where finishing woes dominated the post-match autopsy, the response from the side was nothing short of breathtaking.
From the opening exchanges, the visitors laid down a marker. Controlling the tempo and pinning the opposition back with relentless pressing, the Queens established total dominance. The deadlock was broken when Palatial Makaruse capped off a slick, well-worked move involving Charlotte Chiyangwa and Kelly Kandemiri to find the back of the net.
That opening strike blew the game wide open. Makaruse, operating with a razor-sharp edge, proved an insurmountable problem for the ZRP Harare back line. She soon doubled her tally with supreme composure, rounding the goalkeeper before coolly slotting home. Before the interval, she completed a magnificent first-half hat-trick to put the match firmly beyond doubt. But the hosts’ misery before the break wasn’t finished there. Makaruse turned provider from a corner, swinging an inch-perfect, teasing delivery into the area for Tawananyasha Mandishara, who rose highest to power a header into the net.
Holding a commanding four-goal advantage at the break, the visitors showed no signs of easing off the accelerator.
The second half began at a blistering pace. Barely had the spectators settled back into their seats when Tanaka Samanga rifled home a superb finish to make it five. Sustained pressure in the penalty area soon yielded a sixth, with Kelly Kandemiri showing exemplary composure to finish clinically.
With the contest firmly in hand, the technical dugout utilised their substitutes’ bench, introducing Doreen Rugayo, Belinda Mutsauri, and Mercy Kuvenga to inject fresh legs and maintain the team’s relentless intensity. The changes seamless carried the momentum forward. Makaruse raced clean through in a one-on-one situation to bag her fourth, before substitute Rugayo unlocked the defence with a pin-point assist, allowing Makaruse to steer home her fifth of an unforgettable afternoon.
There was even late penalty drama when Charleen Mutonho was brought down inside the area. Though her initial spot-kick was saved and her rebound sailed over the crossbar, it could do nothing to dampen a joyous afternoon in the capital.
When the referee blew the final whistle, it confirmed a resounding 8-0 victory coupled with a rock-solid defensive clean sheet. Speaking after the match, Assistant Coach Cephas Mugurasave was understandably beaming with pride:
“We are very happy with the performance of the girls. They followed our play and we managed to score many goals,” Mugurasave reflected.
It was a complete team performance, built on midfield control, defensive organisation, and a masterclass in clinical finishing that sent an unmistakable message across the Northern Region Women’s League.