A new giant emerges from the East?

Langton Nyakwenda

MANICA DIAMONDS will most likely finish the season in the top four for a second consecutive year and their coach Jairos Tapera thinks the Mutare-based side now deserve to be listed among giants of the local Premiership.

Last season, the Gem Boys were runners up to Ngezi Platinum Stars, in a campaign they at some point looked destined to win.

That was the same script this term as Manica Diamonds dominated in the early stages of the race before fizzling out in the second stanza.

“For a team that gained promotion a few years ago to now consistently challenge for a top four position is a step in the right direction,” says Tapera, who won the Coach of the Year award twice this season.

There was a time when Manica Diamonds looked invincible, especially between April and June when they went 13 games unbeaten.

That run consisted of an eight-game winning run, which yielded as many clean sheets.

Tapera also won two Coach of the Month awards and was also appointed interim national team coach for the two World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and South Africa.

He also led the Warriors to the COSAFA Cup semifinal.

“We might have lost ground during the race but if you ask a lot of teams they will tell you Manica Diamonds are one of the toughest opponents in the league,” added Tapera.

Manica Diamonds close their 2024 league campaign with a home fixture against relegation-threatened Bulawayo Chiefs this afternoon.

“It’s a game that we just have to win so that we end the campaign on a high.

“We are playing at Sakubva and we also need to make sure we finish in the top four,” Tapera said.

The Gem Boys are fourth on the log with 51 points, three clear of fifth placed Herentals who host Chicken Inn at Rufaro today.

Manica Diamonds have 13 wins, 12 draws and eight losses from their 33 matches.

They have the joint best defence with ZPC Kariba who have also conceded 18 times.

And Tapera has noted some improvements in a team that made its Premier Soccer League debut in 2019.

They finished fifth with 47 points that season.

Manica Diamonds finished 10th in the 2021/2022 season, which has remained their worst performance in the league.

Last season they finished second and eight points behind champions Ngezi Platinum Stars.

“You can note the improvement even in the way we have been faring in the Chibuku Super Cup.

“Last time we exited in the first round but this season we reached the last four,” says Tapera.

The Eastern Highlands team had some exciting players this season in the form of Brett Amidu, Michael Tapera and the evergreen Farai Banda.