Madombidzha Arsenal secured a place in the final of the Vhembe Mayoral Challenge Tournament by beating Muthelo FC 8-7 in their semifinal match at the Makwarela Stadium on Sunday.

Arsenal deserved to win from the onset and they were leading 2-0 at one stage.

Their speedy forward, Matodzi Mutangwa, made his presence felt seven minutes into the game. He made no mistake after a brilliant pass from Ronewa Nemakhavhani. Muthelo started to panic after Arsenal’s opening goal. They lost cohesion in the middle of the park, from where their captain, Maduvha Mudologi, was supposed to be distributing the ball.

Arsenal scored their second goal in the 19th minute. Matodzi Mutangwa completed his brace by blasting in a rocket from inside the penalty box. Muthelo fortified their striking force by introducing Lucky Funyufunyu for Conuel Shibambu. They pulled one back nine minutes before the end of the first half. Maduvha Mudologi scored, following a mix-up within the Arsenal danger area, to bring the half-time score to 2-1.

Muthelo approached the last half with more self-confidence. They found the equaliser through Vhonani Munyai in the 54th minute. A defender of Muthelo, Rendani Phake, handled the ball within the box and the referee, Mr Christopher Mugeri, awarded Arsenal a penalty. Dakalo Nwanamidwa shot straight to the keeper, much to the disappointment of the team’s fans.

Muthelo took the lead in the 67th minute. Mashudu Mukhari finished off a rebound after an attempt by Phetho Murovhi. Aubrey Munyai scored the third for Arsenal late in the game. The winner was determined through a penalty shoot-out, with Arsenal hitting the net five times, while Muthelo converted four.