Chronicle Editor
Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
HARARE City coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube says they have accepted their fate but they still need to give their club fans something to cheer their deflated spirits by winning the Castle Challenge Cup this Saturday at Mandava.
The Chibuku Super Cup winners were relegated from the Premiership this season. They have a chance to bag a second silverware when they meet champions FC Platinum in the once-off match meant to celebrate the Premier Soccer League’s 25th anniversary.
“We need to accept what has happened and life goes on. We need to give ourselves a smile before the year ends. We were not necessarily a bad team but we got relegated. So we need to give a smile to our fans and every one at the club by winning this Cup. We need to motivate ourselves, accept fate and then everything will go according to plan,” said Ncube.
“At the present moment, it’s 50-50, we are going for a positive result.” His troops appear to have mastered the art of doing well in Cup games. The Sunshine Boys began the preparations for their last Supper in top-flight yesterday and on Saturday they will officially bid farewell to the league. FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza says it is important they win the special celebratory Cup.
“It is a massive game for us. We did well winning the championship but it will be very important as well to win this game. It is a Cup final and a game of football,” he said. However, Mapeza says it would be a relaxed match, very different from all the other games they played this season. It also presents them with a chance to parade the championship trophy before their fans.
“The pressure was terrible. It was just too much for us. But we have to take this game seriously. We need to give them due respect. We want to keep the trophy in Zvishavane as well,” said Mapeza. The Zvishavane side are likely to miss some of their key stars who were included into the CECAFA Cup squad which is scheduled to leave for Nairobi at the weekend.
The tournament begins this Sunday in Kenya. FC Platinum defender Kelvin Moyo and midfielders Gerald Takwara, Rodwell Chinyengetere and Ali Sadiki have been included in the 29-member squad which was selected by Warriors caretaker coach Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa.
The Warriors camp, which was expected to start yesterday evening with players trooping into camp, got off to a false start. ZIFA spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said they were still to come up with a definite programme for the national team with the players now expected to go into camp either today or tomorrow.
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