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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
A DECADE after guiding defunct AmaZulu FC to the domestic Premiership title, Luke Masomere this morning returns to Bulawayo to take over as How Mine FC head coach.
This time around his mission is to save the gold miners who are staring relegation right in the face.
The gold miners’ fortunes have plummeted and after their weekend 0-3 defeat to Harare City, they are fifth from the bottom with just 24 points from 21 games.
Masomere, according to sources, resigned from Buffaloes yesterday after his team’s 2-2 draw with Black Rhinos. He left Buffaloes on position eight with 29 points.
How Mine, who parted ways with head coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube a fortnight ago, confirmed yesterday that Masomere would be unveiled today.
“He’s (Masomere) coming through tomorrow (today) morning to finalise everything. We had talked to him before and he had indicated his position at Buffaloes but he has since resigned and made himself available. After our meeting, we will be making an announcement on the substantive coach,” said Mlondolozi Nkomo, How Mine’s chairman.
This publication got it right in its August 12 edition that Masomere was a leading candidate to take charge of How Mine following the miners’ 1-2 defeat to FC Platinum which piled more pressure on Ncube.
Masomere’s first game in charge of the ambitious miners is this weekend’s NetOne sponsored OneWallet Sup8r semi-final tie against Dynamos at Zvishavane’s Mandava Stadium.
Ncube had done well to orchestrate Highlanders’ exit from the to eight competition after penalty shootouts.
Last season Shabanie Mine, then under the tutelage of Masomere, won the BancABC bankrolled Sup8r Knockout tournament after beating FC Platinum in the final.
In the last edition of the competition Shabanie Mine knocked out Dynamos in the last four, a stage that Masomere finds How Mine at and the question is, will the self-proclaimed “Doctor of Football” be able to guide the miners past DeMbare and go all the way to complete a Sup8r Knockout Tournament double?
How Mine chairman Nkomo is confident that they will sail past DeMbare who booted out Caps United in the quarter-finals and probably face Chicken Inn, whose semi-final game is against Triangle United at Mandava, in an all-Bulawayo final. Chicken Inn knocked out FC Platinum at Mandava while Triangle conquered Harare City.
“I think this is a fair draw because one way or the other we were bound to face any of the three teams. Actually we are ready for them and what makes the build-up to the game exciting is probably the fact that an all-Bulawayo final is possible and what is required is for us to beat Dynamos which I think we can. The encounter against Dynamos will not be easy but we will prepare to the best of our capabilities,” said Nkomo.
How Mine surprised all and sundry last season when they went on to reach the final of the Mbada Diamond Cup only to lose 3-0 to Highlanders.
Already having got revenge over Highlanders in a cup game, Dynamos pose a threat to their dream of winning a major trophy in their second Premiership season.
The teams that will lose the last four will take home $30,000 each with losing finalists set to bank a $50,000 cheque while the winners will take home $80,000.
Online Reporter