admin
Curtworth Masango-Zimpapers Sports Hub
NGEZI Platinum Stars assistant coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziwa is confident they will sail past Simba Bhora when they lock horns today in the Chibuku Super Cup semi-final at Baobab.
Mutiwekuziwa will stand in for head coach Takesure Chiragwi who is on national team duty with the Warriors for the CHAN first round qualifiers against Eswatini.
The Warriors are hosting Eswatini in Botswana tomorrow.
Striker Obriel Chirinda, who had been suspended for this match after accumulating yellow cards, is also with the Warriors.
Both Simba Bhora and Ngezi Platinum Stars are coming from league defeats, and they will be trying to redeem themselves.
Simba Bhora succumbed to a last-minute strike from Herentals in a 1-0 loss, while Ngezi Platinum suffered a 2-1 defeat against relegation-threatened newboys Chegutu Pirates.
Mutiwekuziwa told Zimpapers Sports that they exercised due diligence in preparation of the cup game.
“Our team has been diligently preparing for the challenge,” he said.
“The players have shown great determination and positivity, knowing the importance of this cup game as a stepping stone towards the club competing in Africa again.”
Ngezi Platinum, who won the title once in 2016, came close last year, but lost to Dynamos in a highly-contested final. Mutiwekuziwa believes the loss now works as an inspiration for the team.
“While the memories of last season may still haunt us, they now serve as inspiration for the team to push themselves even further.
“We have learnt from our past mistakes and we are ready to exploit our maximum potential on the field.”
He believes home advantage will help boost the platinum miners.
“With home advantage on our side, playing at Baobab will surely give us an added boost as we are familiar with the ground and its conditions.
“As we have experienced in the past, Simba Bhora is indeed a tough opponent. However, we are not letting their reputation intimidate us. Our focus remains solely on our game plan and on securing a victory.
“With a clean bill of health and only two absences, including our head coach Takesure Chiragwi and Chirinda, who are an important part of the team, we will soldier on and try to get the best result for us.
“Remember the chances to defend the league title are now slim to impossible and we have taken all we have to grind something from the cup as it remains our only chance to silverware this season,” he said.
Online Reporter