Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League side, Manica Diamonds, will troop into Sakubva Stadium tomorrow (Saturday), aiming to secure their first three points of the season against fellow strugglers, Agama FC.
The club has urged Mutare and the wider Manicaland community to turn out in force to witness what it hopes will be the start of a revival for Manicaland’s only top-flight team.
A turbulent few weeks have followed the recent change of ownership, with the club narrowly avoiding collapse and undergoing multiple changes to its technical staff.
Yet, somehow, Manica Diamonds remain in the top-flight.
The Gem Boys have managed just two points from a possible 30 in their opening 10 league matches.
Agama FC, also struggling in their debut top-flight season, have collected only four points from the same number of fixtures.
Little wonder, then, that new Manica Diamonds president, Evans Kamombo, is hoping this encounter will deliver the club’s first win.
“From what we gathered from the technical department and what we observed at Ngezi Platinum, there were some encouraging improvements. It is unfortunate we did not score, but we were pleased with the team’s fortitude and character. If we build on that, I have no doubt we will achieve something. We must do our utmost to secure maximum points against Agama FC. We know it will not be easy, but we have to win it by any means,” said Kamombo.
The Agrum company proprietor has watched the Mutare side for three league matches since taking over from the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC).
Kamombo saw the team fall to Triangle FC at Gibbo Stadium in his first match in charge, before a draw with Hardrock at the GreenFuel Arena in Chisumbanje. He was again in the terraces as the faltering Gem Boys lost 0-1 away to Ngezi Platinum.
The new Manica Diamonds owner said the technical department had identified low fitness levels and a poor conversion rate as the side’s greatest weaknesses. He remains hopeful the club will retain its Premiership status for another season.
“This was my third match in the terraces. The report from the technical department shows some positives, but fitness remains the main challenge. The players perform well in the first half, but fade midway through the second. The coaches said such issues are usually addressed during the pre-season, but now we are under pressure to focus on tactics and combinations at this stage of the season,” he said.
“Scoring is also a problem. A team with one goal in 10 matches speaks volumes about the difficulties we face. We need to improve that as soon as possible to start collecting points,” added Kamombo.
Underlining the technical department’s concerns over fitness, two players — Polyester Shoko and Liberty Manzunzu — are unlikely to feature in Saturday’s clash with Agama after pulling muscles against Ngezi Platinum.
For football fans in Mutare and across Manicaland, the return of Castle Lager Premiership action to Sakubva Stadium is welcome news for a community with no other top-flight club.
The Gem Boys began the season at Gibbo Stadium in Triangle, before moving to the GreenFuel Arena in Chisumbanje, ahead of Sakubva’s recent homologation.
However, it remains unclear how many matches Manica Diamonds will host at Sakubva Stadium, given that the stadium’s custodians have long-term refurbishment plans.
