Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, [email protected]
HE was once on the big stage as a rightback renowned for telling crosses and deadball situations like Noel Kaseke before him and today’s Andrew Mbeba for Highlanders.
Lawson Nkomo (pictured), forgotten completely after over a decade out of Premiership football, will have his biggest day in the game this afternoon when his Mawabeni Football Club takes part in the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup at
Crescent Sports Club to decide Bulawayo Metropolitan Province representatives in the national draw of the tournament.
It is every coach’s dream to go as far as he can in the Football Association Cup. A win will see his rating enhanced and scouts raising their heads.
Another thing is the profiling of Mawabeni, part of Umzingwane District.
Introduced this year, the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup, sponsored to the tune of US$25 million over the next five years, at US$5 million per year is the biggest sporting competition in the country. It has a unique character in that amateur league sides drawn even from Area Zones and lower division structures of Zifa are involved in the tournament.
Cheetahs of Malonga, Dete in Matabeleland North sealed their place last week while last Sunday it was time for
Nottingham Estates of Beitbridge District in Matabeleland South to stand tall. They now stand a chance of being drawn against heavyweights in a tournament that in previous years as the Natbrew, Castle or Zifa Cup produced shock results.
Mawabeni boss Mpumelelo ‘Mbesuma’ Nkomazana is excited that Nkomo has taken his project to this level.
The team will clash with Extension Rovers winners of the Bulawayo Province Division Three knockout phase.
Mawabeni dominated the Metropolitan Division Two race and sealed their date with destiny on Monday.
“Lawson has done a fantastic job ever since he came on board. Because of his experience as a player at Highlanders and apprenticeship in coaching in Emakhandeni, he has brought a new dimension to the club. That we have gone this far says a lot about his pedigree and what he has planted at the club. He has our backing as management to shape the future of the young players at his disposal and grow our brand.
“We are excited and will not take things for granted that we are playing a team from a lower league. Football is football and one of the things to guard against is complacency. We are praying for a positive result so that we qualify for the national draw which will be an endorsement of our aspirations,” said Nkomazana.
Mawabeni are based in Mzingwane but play in Bulawayo.
To get to the final Mawabeni accounted for St Daniels beating the side 2-1, 6-5 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in regulation time with Indlovu Iyanyathela, in the semi-finals Mawabeni were luckier in the lottery winning 4-2 after a 0-0 stalemate in 90 minutes against Kombo United.
They took the stuffing off a stubborn Zimbabwe Republic Police (Ntabazinduna) whom they beat 2-0 in the final played at Crescent Sports Club on Monday.
The Munhumutapa Challenge Cup is set for 11AM this morning.
