How Mine in close shave

Lovemore Dube on Mahe Island, Seychelles
HOW Mine have described their 6-4 aggregate scraping through to the second round of the Orange Caf Confederation Cup as a close shave following Saturday’s 1-3 loss at the hands of St Michel.
The Bulawayo side went into the game with a comfortable 5-1 lead following goals by Kuda Musharu, Menard Mupera, Thembani Masuku and Morris Kadzola at Barbourfields Stadium last week on Sunday.

On Saturday at Stade Linite in the Seychelles capital of Victoria on Mahe Island, Philani Ncube’s lads found themselves pinned and were almost bundled out of the tournament. Musharu’s goal in the 57th minute saved them the blushes as the goal appeared to have sapped all the hope the Seychellois had of overturning the score line.

In an interview after the match club chairman Mlondolozi Nkomo described the result as a big scare.
“We were really given a scare. We did not anticipate that those guys would put us on the back foot. I am happy we sailed through; the guys gave it their best shot. We are learning with each match,” said Nkomo whose team will be playing in the Premiership for the second year having made their debut last season.

Nkomo said off-the-field matters might have affected his boys. There was a wrangle over which dressing room to use and warm up end of the pitch.
“That could have been psychological warfare.  In future we should guard against all that so that the players do not get distracted,” said Nkomo.

St Michel used the visiting team’s dressing room and wanted to warm up on the visitors’ portion of the field. This was despite the fact that How Mine had pitched their cones first.

He said; “I am happy we are through to the next stage despite the scare we were subjected to.”
Nkomo said the high temperatures and humidity had taken their toll on the players.

Coach Philani Ncube praised his boys for holding out in the second half. He said the home team had made life difficult for them with early goals.
St Michel scored in the sixth and 16th minutes through Jocelyb Fenosoa and Alex Nibourette with Kuda Musharu scoring the consolation goal in the 57th minute.
Ncube said St Michel had made several positional changes and that had almost worked for them.

“This was almost a different team with four changes. They came at us and gave us some severe challenge. We tried as much as we could and in the second half with more emphasis on defence and discipline we were able to score. I introduced Timothy January and took him out because he could not defend as well as  we wanted. It was a strategy for us to survive,” said Ncube.

January who at times over-does his dribbling wasted three scoring chances. He was introduced in the 24th minute for Blessing Sande but he later made way for James Chitereki in the 79th minute.

Playing Menard Mupera in a defensive role appeared to deny the team his creativity and drive in attack. His partner Xolisani Moyo gave good cover to the defence which with time shone all afternoon with Gilbert Banda and Nyasha Mukumbi thwarting several raids both on the ground and aerial.

Banda at one stage with cucumber coolness robbed a striker who was facing goalkeeper Ephraim Mazarura by going down to clip the ball as Fenosoa was about to pull the trigger.

With How Mine attacking with one man Musharu, most of the long balls pumped forward were quickly picked by the mobile home team. The Seychellois put up an improved performance at Stade Linite and did not shy away from probing the visitors from all angles.

How Mine will have to strengthen their central midfield with more combative personnel and provide good support for Musharu.
They left Seychelles yesterday via Johannesburg and were set to arrive in Harare last night.

Head of delegation Tawengwa Hara praised the sponsors Mbada Diamonds for a job well done.
“The boys were putting on blazers, pairs of black trousers and white shirts. They looked impressive and so much of a team even when going to training and warm up they had their similar T-shirts and track suits. That is how teams should look, it raises the morale in the camp,” said Hara.