Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
LLOYD MUTASA is always finding ways to shoot down title talk as he desperately tries to deflate pressure associated with leading a club in control of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League proceedings, 18 games into the 2025 marathon.
His newboys MWOS have been a revelation on their Premiership bow, losing just once so far to top the standings on 37 points.
They are a point above second-placed champions Simba Bhora and a further eight over fellow newboys Scottland, who are in third place.
With MWOS now a fixture in the title discourse, Mutasa knows the pressure is on his shoulders and he is trying hard to neutralise it by saying his team is fighting against relegation, instead.
It’s a rhetoric that has been blindly accepted yet a stark contrast to the goal the former Dynamos mentor should be desperately fighting for.
Those who know the former midfielder closely, also know that privately, he has been working his socks off to earn his major coaching stripes — winning the Premiership championship title.
Yet in typical Mutasa fashion, the man they affectionately call “Samaita’’ in the football circles, remains grounded in humility and insists his mission is to avoid relegation.
“Like I have always said, we are fighting against relegation and nothing has changed as yet,” Mutasa has repeatedly said.
“I salute my boys for the fight they are putting in, week in, week out. We appreciate the fans who always come to Ngoni Stadium to support us.
“The ride has been quite enjoyable and we will continue fighting to avoid relegation at the end of the season.”
Given, MWOS have retained a significant number of players who did duty for them when they were still in the Northern Region Soccer League last season, including Tafadzwa George, Nigel Matinha, Tafadzwa Nyabunze and Mathew Murambiwa, but a good number of those players boast of vast Premiership experience from their previous clubs.
The Punters actually broke the bank to bring such players like goalkeeper Martin Mapisa who had a ready contract prepared for him in Zambia, Innocent Zambezi who had been offered an extension at CAPS United, Valentine Katsande and former Premier Soccer League champion Claude Mapoka.
And for Mutasa to go to town saying he is aiming for a modest finish like just surviving relegation, when his team has already garnered 37 points with 16 more games before the season ends, may just be a ploy to sidetrack his rivals.
Ordinarily, Mutasa should be going for the big one given that almost everyone in his generation of coaches has won the Premier Soccer League title while he has been a nearly man or just a relegation fighter.
Mutasa, who has handled such teams as Kiglon, Highway, GreenFuel, FC Platinum and Dynamos has over two decades of coaching experience.
His generational peers who include Norman Mapeza, Kalisto Pasuwa, Tonderai Ndiraya, Lloyd Chitembwe and Takesure Chiragwi among others have won the PSL championship at least once.
And for him to be trying to deflate pressure in a year he is flying defies logic and has somewhat confused the MWOS faithful who are smelling championship blood.
Contrastingly, Mutasa’s Scottland counterpart Ndiraya has been bold enough to spell out his title ambitions.
Although Ndiraya’s Scottland bosses demanded only a top-four finish from him, he isn’t mincing his words.
The former Ngezi Platinum Stars gaffer won the league title with Simba Bhora last season before Scottland lured him to the Mabvuku outfit following their promotion into the Premiership.
They poured in a lot of financial resources into the project and Ndiraya knows just how sweet it will be if he can deliver the title as a bonus to his paymasters.
Although Scottland are eight points behind MWOS, it could be reduced to just five if, as largely expected, they are given another three points via the boardroom, from their abandoned match against Chicken Inn.
“I am into football to win. Of course, we were given a top-four target by the club bosses which I think is attainable.
“We are a new team with talented individuals who are just becoming a team. But I believe the quality that we have shouldn’t be okay to fight for top-four,” said Ndiraya.
“We have to fight hard to try and improve as a team. Look, we have a team that is capable of winning the league title and that is exactly what we are gunning for.
“Certainly, I would like to win the title for the second time with a different team within two seasons. That will be a good feeling for me.
“But that can only come when we play well and try to collect as many points as our potential deserves.”
Mutasa’s MWOS host Bikita Minerals at Ngoni tomorrow while Scottland are in action a day later when they face CAPS United in a Harare derby clash at Rufaro.
Aaah vana Manyepo, maranga futi kunyepa? Can you compare the clout of Billiat, Pfumbudzayi, Musona and all those appearing on the 2025 Soccer Stars of the year calender who play for Scottland to the fringe players brought into MOWS? You may not like Mutasa and MOWS but chirega kunyepa. Ndiraya haana kumbotaura zvawanyora izvo.