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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
NOMADIC striker Norman Maroto is likely to face his former paymasters Dynamos at the weekend in Shabanie Mine’s colours when the two clash in a BancABC Sup8r Cup semi-final at Barbourfields Stadium. The former Dynamos striker who has been without a club since being dumped by FC Platinum at the beginning of the year, found a new home at Shabanie Mine during the midseason transfer window and has won Luke Masomere’s admiration.
In a telephone interview from Zvishavane yesterday, Masomere gave a hint that Maroto might be part of his squad on Sunday.
The first semi-final is set for Saturday and will see FC Platinum taking on Monomotapa.
“Right now I can’t say much about the weekend game because the week is just starting and a lot might happen before we announce our squad after Thursday’s training. The players might pick up injuries or fall by the wayside due to illnesses. However, what I can tell you is that I am happy with my new signing Norman Maroto who is showing his old form.
“He has been working very hard at training and this gives me lots of attacking options. Whether he will play or not will be determined by how the week progresses,” said Masomere.
Shabanie Mine were the first to book a BancABC Sup8r Cup last four place when they knocked out Chicken Inn at Mandava Stadium with a 2-0 win.
They have also had a good run in the second half of the Premiership season, managing to pick 10 points from a possible 12. At the start of the second half, they played to a one-all draw with Chicken Inn in Bulawayo, beat Black Mambas and Buffaloes with identical 2-0 score lines at home. Their other victory was a 1-0 win over How Mine in Bulawayo.
Despite having a good start into the second half of the season, Masomere is worried that the long break due to the national team’s participation in the African Nations Championships (Chan) qualifiers might have a negative effect on his team’s new found form.
Another plus for Shabanie Mine is that strikers Caleb Masocha and Tarisai Rukanda have fully recovered from their injuries.
“The long break definitely affects teams as those (clubs) that are doing well like us might lose their form. Before the break we won three out of our four league matches and drew one which is good. What is important is to re-organise and make sure that we do not lose our touch.
“The good thing about the break is that Masocha and Rukanda are now fully fit. We were forced to use Pervington Zimunya and Valentine Ndaba who are attacking midfielders as our strikers against Buffaloes but we got the result. Now that our strikers are back, we will see how we can plan for the BancABC Sup8r Cup semi-final,” Masomere said.
Both semi-finals will be broadcast live on Supersport and it is the $120 000 winners’ prize that will motivate teams to fight hard to win the cup.
The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League winners will get $70 000 at the end of the year which is about half the BancABC Sup8r Cup prize money.
Runners-up will walk away with $50 000 with the losing semi-finalists getting $20 000.
BancABC partnered five other companies — LED Travel and Tours, Sakunda Petroleum, Topics Stores, Arenel and Rockshade to make the 2013 competition bigger and better.
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