adminGrace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
ZPC Kariba skipper Tendai Hove says morale is high in the team ahead of the Chibuku Super Cup semi-final match against Harare City this afternoon at Mandava. The goalkeeper believes the gloomy days, when they went for seven matches without a victory, are now behind them. “We are focused and looking forward to this match. We are treating it as a serious game. We now have our confidence back as of late we have been playing well in the league,” he said.
“We played Harare City about two weeks ago and we beat them. They are tough opponents and last year they beat us in the first round of this Cup and we know what they are capable of doing. We also want to do well in this Cup and please our fans at home as we haven’t done well this season.”
The keeper, who has been with the club since it was a promoted a year ago, said their coach Sunday Chidzambwa has helped calm their nerves ahead of the crucial tie. “The coach has taught us to have self belief and confidence in ourselves and I believe we are now focused after a spell where we haven’t been getting results,” he said.
Kauya Katuruturu beat giants CAPS United 4-1 in a penalties after they the two teams had drawn 2-2 in a pulsating match at Rufaro. Last year’s finalists Harare City also believe that this might be their year following an agonising defeat to FC Platinum in the final at Mandava last year. Harare City goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupangedengu said they still have bad memories of their last defeat.
“The last time we played in Mandava we wanted to win the Cup but it wasn’t to be because of other events that happened on the day. And going back to Mandava this coming weekend it will bring back the sad memories of the last time we played there, but we would like to overturn those memories and come out with a positive result,” he said.
Today: ZPC Kariba FC v Harare City (Mandava, 3pm, SS).
Tomorrow: Chapungu v Dynamos (Mandava, 3pm, SS).
Online Reporter