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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
GILBERT Mushangazhike might just have saved his job. At least for now.
The Golden Eagles coach failed to lead the team into Premiership promotion.
They were one of the favourites to clinch promotion into the top-flight.
But they slipped at the critical stage of the marathon and allowed Simba Bhora to punch the sole ticket to the elite tier in the Northern Region Division One Soccer League.
And it was increasingly looking like Mushangazhike, who got this job following the resignation of Joel Luphahla, was going to be axed. But the former Warriors striker might just have made a good case to stay.
His team beat Simba Bhora 2-0 in the Axis Solutions Super 8 final played at Rufaro on Saturday.
It was a sweet victory for Mushangazhike and his charges who suffered some capitulation in the league race even finishing third in the race.
The US$20 000-rich Axis Solutions Super 8 tournament was participated for by the Northern Region Division One Soccer League teams who were in the top-eight at the half-way stage of the marathon.
And the curtain came down in style with fans thronging the traditional home of local football for the tightly-contested fixture.
Musicians Baba Harare and Sulumani Chimbetu added the glitter when serenading before, during and after the match.
There was also a huge honour for Barnabas Mushunje who won the player of the tournament accolade posthumously.
The former midfielder died in a car accident four months ago but he had done enough to merit the biggest crown and his prize money will be delivered to his family.
Golden Eagles defender Raymond Uchena, who opened the scoring on Saturday, shared the top scorer’s accolade with Simba Bhora’s Tinashe Balakasi after both scored two goals in this tournament.
Veteran goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya won the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award after managing a clean sheet in the final.
And Mushangazhike is on cloud nine after also grabbing the best coach’s award.
Online Reporter