Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira [email protected]
HWANGE coach Njabulo Dube has every reason to be happy after his side pulled off one of the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup’s biggest upsets, but the ambitious coach knows the hard work has only just begun.
Hwange stunned Dynamos 1-0 at the Colliery Stadium to book their place in the last 16, a result that has injected fresh excitement into a season in which the Southern Region Division One title remains the club’s main target.
For Dube, reaching the next stage is an achievement worth celebrating, but it has also opened the door to a bigger dream.
“I’m very happy about progressing. Every coach’s dream when you are in a knockout competition is to get to the final,” Dube said.
That is the mindset Dube wants his players to embrace.
There is little value in entering a knockout competition simply to participate, and Hwange’s victory over Dynamos has given them reason to believe they can go deeper into the tournament.
The Munhumutapa Challenge Cup has provided Dube and his players with an opportunity to test themselves against opposition from a higher level, and eliminating Dynamos has shown that
Hwange are capable of competing when the stakes are high.
But Dube is also conscious that the cup cannot be allowed to derail what remains the club’s principal mission.
Hwange are chasing the Southern Region Division One championship and, with promotion ambitions firmly in their sights, the coach now faces the delicate task of keeping his squad focused on the league while allowing them to enjoy their cup adventure.
“We have to manage between winning the Southern Region Division One league and also making further progress in the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup,” Dube said.
That balancing act could prove more difficult as the competition progresses.
Cup football can be intoxicating. A victory over a big-name opponent brings belief, attention and momentum, but it also brings another match to an already demanding schedule.
For a club with ambitions of returning to the higher levels of Zimbabwean football, however, these are problems Dube is likely to welcome.
The Hwange coach believes the victory is important not only for his players but also for the community that has rallied behind the team.
“I’m happy for the boys, I’m happy for the community and, above all, I’m very happy for the Southern Region league,” he said.
That sense of responsibility towards the region adds another layer to Hwange’s cup journey.
They are not simply playing for the excitement of a giant-killing story. Every round they progress through gives the players greater exposure and strengthens the belief that their ambitions are not misplaced.
Dube’s challenge now is to make sure the emotional high of eliminating Dynamos does not become a distraction.
The coach will need to rotate and manage his squad carefully, keeping his key players fresh for the league while ensuring Hwange remain competitive whenever the cup demands their attention.
“We are happy to have progressed, but we also know what is important to us,” Dube said.
“We want to win the Southern Region league, but at the same time, when you are in a knockout competition, you want to go as far as possible.”
That is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Hwange’s season.
The league provides the long-term measure of their progress, while the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup is offering them a chance to create moments that can live much longer in the club’s history.
Dube is refusing to choose between the two ambitions just yet.
For now, he has earned the right to dream.
The Dynamos victory has taken Hwange into the last 16. The Southern Region title remains firmly in their sights.
The next challenge is proving they have the depth, discipline and belief to pursue both.
