Chronicle Editor
Nkosilathi Sibanda, [email protected]
HWANGE FC made a sensational return to their home ground after renting out Luveve Stadium but so far nothing has come out of the Colliery Stadium other than the agony of failing to win.
The coal miners returned to their hunting ground on May 8 in a date with Bulawayo Chiefs raising an aura of jubilation among the many faithful supporters based in the town. Fans had longed to see a Castle Lager Premiership game at home, having last seen such in 2019 before Chipangano was sent packing to Division One.
It has been a rough ride for the Nation Dube coached side which has failed to win at home in successive matches losing 3-0 to Bulawayo chiefs, playing to a 0-0 draw against Triangle United and going down 1-0 to Manica Diamonds.
What pains Dube the most is his boys’ failure to even score at home.
That has also got the whole Hwange community restless as Chronicle Sport gathered. There is an overwhelming sadness and apprehension abound at Hwange that can only be subdued by a victory in the coming fixture.
Hwange face a resurgent ZPC Kariba at the weekend and it is a must win.
Dube and his players have once again been afforded an opportunity to prove in front of their home fans and on their own turf that they are a good side. Chipangano has for long held a record of being the toughest to beat at home.
Dube, known for his easy yet calculative approach, will be put to test. However, amid the tension that is mounting, the coach remains hopeful.
Faith rests in him and that is the message he wants fans to have.
“We are all concerned about how we are failing to win at home but we are working on that. Preparations have been okay so far. A win is on the horizon, we will win,” said Dube.
“In as much as we are to dig deep into the statistics, there is more to wait for because we are on the road to register wins at home. The commitment among players is there and the mood at our training camps shows that the boys really want to prove a point.”
While Dube reads well in his faith and hopes that a win will come by, the supporters are not happy, yet they are still rallying their boys to a good run.
“Of course we are all in a sad mood, it is normal to feel this way after all the excitement we had as the team returned home,” said Lisutu Ndlovu the Hwange FC Supporters Association chairman.
“It meant a lot to us as supporters when the team moved out of Bulawayo. The least we can say is that in our sadness we will continue to give our team maximum support. The team needs the support that we give them when playing at home.
“Coming back to Hwange stadium is a great relief to us as supporters and to the team and community at large. We are very grateful to Hwange Colliery and team management for working round the clock to ensure that we meet the required standards,” Ndlovu said.
The coalminers have so far played four of their 2023 season home matches in Bulawayo, losing 1-0 to Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium on the first day of the season. The three other home matches were played at Luveve where the coalminers beat Greenfuel 3-0, drew 1-1 against Sheasham and won their last encounter 1-0 against Cranborne Bullets.
The weekend clash against ZPC Kariba is one stage that Hwange have to please their home crowd and maintain trust that they will remain in the run for the league or at least stay in there.
Online Reporter