Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HERBERT “JOMPANO” MARUWA has a unique knack for making and breaking records.
The TelOne coach was in the Kalisto Pasuwa technical team that led Dynamos to four consecutive league titles between 2011-2014.
Three years later, he was unbeaten in 14 games at Black Rhinos in a year that Chauya Chipembere outscored the entire league.
He was on a roll with Northern Region Soccer League side Harare City, winning six straight games before being lured to rescue TelOne in the Premiership.
And he was always going to be one of the candidates to break a lengthy GreenFuel unbeaten run at their GreenFuel Arena fortress. He did.
Since this stadium opened its doors to Premiership action on September 9, 2023, the locals have turned it into an intimidating arena for visitors with the team also doing well on the field of play.
Struggling for consistency that season but having started their life at their own facility on a winning note, beating Sheasham 1-0, GreenFuel unsurprisingly lost their second home game 3-0 to Simba Bhora on October 8 that same year.
And that was going to be the only defeat they suffered on home soil until 30 matches later, spread over 615 days, which were then ended by TelOne on Saturday.
Even the best teams in the league like FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum Stars and Simba Bhora as well as traditional giants CAPS United, Dynamos and Highlanders all failed to pick a full set of points in their visits last year and this season. GreenFuel had grown so intact and menacing in their backyard and almost handed current log leaders MWOS their first defeat of the season a fortnight ago before the Norton side forced a 1-1 draw.
But Maruwa had a strategy.
“I just told the boys to go out there in the field and enjoy the game without necessarily telling them we wanted to break GreenFuel’s home record,” said Maruwa.
“I knew I would exert pressure on them by telling them the target.
“It was easy for me to convey the ‘die in the field’ message because we were coming from a home defeat to FC Platinum.
“We needed redemption, so I told them redemption meant winning this game.
“I knew it was going to be very difficult because GreenFuel are very intact and are never used to home defeats. That in itself is one of their strengths and their mentality is very strong as a result.
“In the end, I was very happy to take the three points home following that solitary strike from Panashe Mutasa and to break their unbeaten record at GreenFuel Arena.”
Maruwa ensured he threw some of the players who were once darlings at GreenFuel including goalkeeper Chris Mverechena and Bruno Mtigo.
“Maybe it worked in a way,” said Maruwa.
“These players know the terrain very well. We also deployed experienced guys in the battle and collectively, we came out best from the situation.”
GreenFuel were left gutted after the dispiriting defeat but they have to quickly plug the holes as they should start building another intact home streak when they host Scottland tomorrow in a midweek league fixture.
Club chairman Fredson Moyo, who was getting the plaudits for the record given there have been more than three coaches overseeing the team over the last three seasons, said, “We know very well that playing at home often brings a sense of pride and extra determination to protect home turf and uphold a team’s legacy.
“Records are made and records are broken, our record has been broken, that is my case today as the chairman. We had gone for a record 29 games unbeaten at home.
“It’s never easy to lose at home, especially after such a long unbeaten run. But that’s football sometimes you learn more from a defeat than a win. We’ll take this on the chin, regroup and keep pushing forward as we prepare for the Scotland match on Wednesday (tomorrow).”
