Ngezi face Rhinos backlash

Don Makanyanga

NGEZI Platinum Stars are bracing for a backlash from Black Rhinos when the 2016 winners tackle the army side in a Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final soccer clash at Baobab Saturday.

Rhinos put on easily their worst show this season last Saturday when they fell to a surprise 3-0 to relegation-haunted Herentals in a Premiership encounter at the National Sports Stadium.

The soldiers, currently placed sixth on the PSL table, could only muster two shots on target against a Herentals outfit that arrived at their match sitting second from bottom on the 18-team log and very much in the drop zone.

Rhinos’ defeat left their coach, Herbert Maruwa, a frustrated man and the youthful coach has demanded an immediate response from his men, albeit in the Chibuku Super Cup.

“What we saw on Sunday is unacceptable, it was a disappointing display but that is water under the bridge now hence we need to pick ourselves up make sure we defend well and attack from the word go,” said Maruwa.

Despite being worried with the home advantage that his counterparts will enjoy in the knock-out stage, Maruwa believes his charges have an equal chance of progressing to the semi-finals.

“Ngezi have home advantage so we need to be at our best and hopefully we will progress to semi-finals, but despite that we have a 50-50 chance of booking a place in the semi-finals hence the better team of the day will progress.

“We need to progress to the next stage which is the semi-finals then we will see what will happen but we need the cup,” Maruwa said.

With Ngezi struggling with their conversion rate in-front of goal, coach Rodwell Dhlakama has warned his team that they have to find their range with regularity if they are to progress and even reclaim the cup they won in 2016.

Winners of the Chibuku Super Cup earn the ticket to represent Zimbabwe in the CAF Confederation Cup.

“Our major problem is our conversion rate, we need to go out all out in terms of application. There is no tomorrow on cup games the job must be done once and for all,” said Dhlakama.

He added that the match won’t be an easy game as Black Rhinos will need to atone for last weekend’s defeat with a berth in the semi-finals.

“We will try to be smart enough to come out unscathed in this encounter, I know it’s going to be a difficult game given that they were bashed by Herentals and it is time for them to atone for the shortcomings in that encounter,” Dhlakama said.

The Rhinos against Ngezi clash is the first of three quarter-final matches over the weekend with a massive showdown being lined up for Barbourfields on Sunday when league champions FC Platinum square off against a resurgent Highlanders.

On the same day debutants Manica Diamonds will be hoping to capitalise on ZPC Kariba’s poor away form when they receive the electricity men at Vengere in Rusape.

The other quarter final between Triangle and Harare City has been postponed due to the former side’s Confederation Cup assignment in Mauritania.