adminGrace Chingoma Sports Reporter
SEASONED HOW Mine midfielder Menard Mupera wants the gold miners to cap a “fantastic season’’ by lifting the Mbada Diamonds Cup on Saturday but quickly warned against reading too much into their previous wins over Highlanders this year.The Premiership debutants are meeting Bosso for the third time this year having twice beaten their fancied opponents in the Bulawayo derby clashes.
But Mupera who has seen Premiership duty with Black Rhinos and Bosso has gained enough experience to know that every meeting is a new game and yesterday he warned his teammates to guard against complacency when they face their city rivals in the first Mbada Diamonds Cup Bulawayo derby clash.
Apart from the US$130 000 prize at stake, How Mine and Bosso will be fighting for the bragging rights in the City of Kings.
How Mine are literally new in name but the gold miners have assembled a strong side the majority of whose players have passed through the Bosso ranks.
The Mbada final has also been dubbed a Bosso vs. Bosso affair given the How Mine players’ previous Highlanders links.
This probably explains why in their first season in the top-flight How Mine immediately found a recipe to beat Bosso.
Mupera, however, feels that if they take their opponents lightly they could be left a stunned lot at Barbourfields.
“We have beaten them twice in the league and this time it would be a different game.
“It is a Cup game and these matches are tricky. We really have to work hard. We should not be complacent that we have dominated Highlanders this season. If we approach this game with that mentality we would be in trouble.
“Instead we should just be relaxed, not try too hard or put ourselves under pressure. We just need to approach this game with the right attitude be prepared physically and mentally and play as we have been doing in all our matches this season,” said Mupera.
While How Mine are looking to cap a fine debut season by winning the Mbada Cup, they are also aware that they are facing a wounded lion which for the second year running has been forced to settle for silver in the Premiership title race.
For the second straight year, Highlanders have had to settle for second best behind their biggest enemies Dynamos in the league race and on both occasions Bosso’s inferior goal difference cost them the championship.
But On Saturday Zambian gaffer Kelvin Kaindu and his men know that the Mbada Diamonds Cup presents them with a window to redeem themselves in front of their demanding fans.
It also the first time that the Bulawayo giants have reached this stage of the Mbada Diamonds Cup having faltered in the earlier rounds in the previous two editions which ironically were won by Dynamos.
Bosso have also endured a long cup drought and on Saturday the platform has been set for them to end that long wait.
Highlanders might also be still struggling to come to terms on how they collapsed in a league race in which they had seized the initiative before crashing to a 4-0 defeat by Harare City at Rufaro which effectively ended their title chances.
Mupera, however, said they would not read much into the fortunes of their rivals but would rather concentrate on what they can do on Saturday.
“We know they have failed to win the league and might have other plans. But we will not focus on what is going on in their house but rather we will focus our team and what we can achieve as a team.
“We know what it means winning the Mbada Cup. It would be a big achievement for a small club like ours and we would also love to play in the Confederation Cup.
“Everyone is geared for the game and morale is really high in camp,” he said.
The veteran midfielder who also selected as one of the Castle Lager Soccer Star finalists also spoke about his joy at being recognised after a good season with the miners.
“I am happy that my performance was also recognised this season. I have been playing well at How Mine. We are a mixture of different players who came from different clubs but we have managed to combine and do well in the first season.
“We are a small team and small teams especially newcomers are looked down upon. But we have managed to finish in the top eight and also finish on top of all the teams that were promoted this year.
“We would be happy to finish such a very good season with a trophy,” said Mupera.
How Mine beat Highlanders 2-1 in their first league meeting before they got the better of Bosso again with a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture.
Mupera will not be short of experienced partnership when they face Bosso with players such as Herbert Dick, Ephraim Mazarura, Gilbert Banda, Nqobile Mpala and Khumbulani Banda lining up alongside him in the How Mine colours.
Online Reporter