Herbet Maruwa demands character from his charges

TELONE coach, Hebert Maruwa says the way his side navigates their opening five matches will define the rest of their season.

The Wifi Boys opened their campaign with a clash with former champions Dynamos followed by a visit to MWOS last weekend.

They will play host to 2024 champions Simba Bhora in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match today.

After Simba Bhora, TelOne will travel to Zvishavane to face FC Platinum in a Midlands derby before squaring off against defending champions Scottland at home.

On paper, these appear very tough fixtures for the Gweru side, who finished fifth last season.
Maruwa insists while their run of fixtures is tough, his charges have to show up and stand against the big boys in the league.

“Playing the strong sides early in the season prepares us for the rest of the season,” he said.
“This is the perfect opportunity for the boys to build their character and show what they are made of, we have to get positive results against the tougher sides in the league.

“Our opening five matches pits us against last season’s top teams except for Dynamos, so it’s good for us to test ourselves and set the foundation for a better campaign.”

TelOne are yet to register a victory in this campaign after losing to Dynamos 2-1 in their opening match and holding MWOS to a 1-1 draw in their backyard over the weekend.

Maruwa has been encouraged by his side’s performances particularly upfront but challenged his defenders to be solid at the back.

The Wifi Boys have already shipped in three goals this season including a late penalty conceded against MWOS on Saturday.

And the former Dynamos and Black Rhinos coach feels they need to be composed at the back.
“The first two matches have been encouraging in terms of our attack, the goals are coming, which is a good thing. However, we need to be tighter at the back and keep clean sheets in order for us to win games,” added Maruwa.