admin
Sports Reporter
LOWER division football has rarely attracted much interest.
But, the Northern Region Division One Soccer League has applied that missing magical touch. The league marathon, which ended with Simba Bhora being crowned the champions last month, grabbed headlines.
The organisation and the competition, especially caught the imagination.
The crowds who filled the stadiums made people believe First Division football was more competitive than the top-flight.
And this afternoon, the curtain to the season officially comes down with a potentially thrilling finale.
Champions Simba Bhora come face-to-face with Golden Eagles in the Axis Solutions Super 8 Cup final at Rufaro this afternoon.
It’s been one of the most tightly-contested fixtures in the division and the coming together of the two in a US$20 000-richer grand finale adds to the hunger.
That the two clubs have built a huge rivalry adds to the excitement.
Just five months ago, Simba Bhora midfielder Ronald “Rooney” Chitiyo was facing acute financial challenges at Premiership side CAPS United before he made a decision to join the Shamva outfit.
And he could as well pocket a fortune should his team come out tops.
The pint-sized player said he was looking forward to this match. “Cup matches are always very tough. There is no second chance to mend your flaws. There is no room, absolutely for any error in cup finals.
“As Simba Bhora, we are getting into this match with full information of what we want to achieve,” said Chitiyo.
“The club has already secured the league title and promotion into the Premier Soccer League.
“That’s a plus and a huge confidence booster on our part.
“That’s something which can push us to want to do more.
“But it is also something that can drive us into complacency.
“As a team and as players, we have always talked about it. Complacency is our enemy number one. So we should by all means try to guard against it.
“We should fight for each other and come out tops in all decisive situations.”
Chitiyo said Golden Eagles are one of the top teams who need to be treated with respect.
“Golden Eagles are not a small club by any measure. They are a team with a lot of good players. We should treat them with respect.
“We have played them twice and we know what they are capable of doing. We need to be focused and concentrate. There is no room for error.”
Online Reporter