Tongai Mashonga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
CONFIDENCE is bubbling in the Hardrock camp but coach Kelvin Kaindu is preaching caution and humility.
The Kwekwe-based miners are bracing for a titanic Chibuku Super Cup semi-final showdown against giant-killers FC Hunters at Chahwanda tomorrow.
Hardrock, the pacesetters of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, will momentarily put their title charge on hold when they lock horns with a buoyant Hunters side.
“We need to maintain our confidence and belief,” Kaindu said ahead of the explosive last-four tie.
The stakes could not be higher.
A place in the final of Zimbabwe’s premier knockout competition awaits, with the winners set to pocket a lucrative ticket to the final at Chahwanda on November 28.
Hardrock secured their semi-final berth after booting out fancied Scottland 1-0 in a quarter-final at Rufaro, courtesy of Neliswa Dlamini’s early strike.
Hardrock completed a double, including a humiliating 6-1 rout at Chahwanda.
Kaindu, however, is refusing to be sucked into a false sense of security by that league dominance.
“Past results are in the league, not in the Cup games. I hope we stay focussed, as Hunters play organised football and they deserve to be there in the semi-finals,” said the Zambian tactician.
It is a timely warning.
“We have two games left to play in the league and we now shift our focus to the Cup where we had our last defeat.
“We have concerns on a few players but we hope they will be ready for Saturday’s game,” he said. If Hardrock have pedigree, Hunters have providence.
Saruchera’s men arrive in the Midlands mining city buoyed and bubbling with confidence, carrying the dreaded tag of giant-killers.
Their Cup odyssey has been nothing short of sensational.
In the Chibuku quarter-finals, they dethroned holders Dynamos, three-time winners, 4-1 on penalties after a gritty 1-1 draw in regulation time at Rufaro, ending DeMbare’s 14-match unbeaten run in the competition.
And, they repeated the giant-killing act in the inaugural Munhumutapa Challenge Cup, orchestrating a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down to force a 2-2 draw against CAPS United before winning 3-1 on penalties.
