adminBruce Chikuni
IT’S the final which no-one had predicted.
Nobody thought two mid-table teams in the two Castle Lager Premier Soccer League would be battling for the country’s premier knockout tournament silverware. But Herentals and Bulawayo Chiefs defid the odds to book a spot in the Chibuku Super Cup final.
The Ninjas eliminated ZPC Kariba, Highlanders and Black Rhinos to secure a shot at glory.
Herentals’ path was way tougher than of their weekend opponents, as they had to contend with the two platinum miners, Ngezi Platinum Stars and FC Platinum as well as Manica Diamonds.
The two platinum sides were finalists of last year’s edition of the tournament, and they had again been tipped as favourites.
However, the Students had other plans.
In fact, they eliminated Ngezi Platinum Stars in the quarter-finals at Baobab before shutting the door for a league and cup double for FC Platinum in the semi-finals at Mandava.
It was already clear at that point that the Zvishavane side would be crowned league champions. Most football fans believed the semi-final against Herentals would be just another routine for FC Platinum, who have proved difficult to beat at their Mandava home.
Bulawayo Chiefs’ veteran midfielder, Kevin Madzongwe, stressed that it’s Herentals’ final to lose. “They are consistent, tough to play against and they can hurt us in many ways.
“They have beaten some of the tournament’s favourites and it says a lot about their pedigree as a team.
“For me, I think the final is theirs to lose,” said Madzongwe.
It will also be Madzongwe’s first appearance in the Chibuku Super Cup final.
He won the last edition of the tournament with FC Platinum, but did not play any part in the final after suffering a muscle injury a day before the final. The 32-year-old conceded that there is a fusion of excitement and nervousness in their camp ahead of the final.
“The preparations are going on well. Everyone is raring to go and excited about the prospect of winning the competition.
“However, for a majority of the guys, it’s their first time reaching this stage, so there is a mixture of emotions, excitement and nervousness,” he said. “It’s the joy and pressure that come with such huge games.
“I believe in our abilities as a team. We have been the underdogs since the start of the tournament, so we will give it our all on Sunday.
“The final means everything to us considering the terrible circumstances we’ve been through. Winning it will be a perfect ending to a gloomy story,” he said.
Herentals forward, Tinotenda Benza, said he is keen to win the Chibuku Super Cup Golden Boot.
He has been one of the league’s promising players and the Students will be pinning their hopes on him.
“The morale in camp is really captivating. This will be our first top-flight league silverware and we cannot afford to lose.
“We have reached this far not because of an individual, but we made it collectively and we are also going to apply the same strategy on Sunday.
“I will be happy to win my first Golden Boot, but my concern now is to help the team win the final,” said Benza.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter