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Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WALTER Musona and Tymon Machope are flying with the stars after helping Simba Bhora win the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League championship.
The pair has been, by far, the best players in the league and the 2024 Soccer Star of the Year accolade is surely a race between them.
Musona has scored 10 goals and notched 13 assists while Machope has netted 11 times and clipped 12 assists.
That means each of them has been involved in Simba Bhora’s direct goals 23 times.
The onus will be on the selectors to choose who was the best and most influential player for the Shamva team if neither of them adds to their numbers in their final game of the season against ZPC Kariba.
But the two are not thinking about that for now as they have an immediate task to lift the Warriors to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
Zimbabwe plays Kenya in the penultimate Afcon qualifier against the Harambee Stars at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa on Friday.
They need just a draw in that game to secure qualification for Morocco next year.
Should Michael Nees and his squad fail to get a draw on Friday, they will then need to beat Cameroon in Yaounde next week to guarantee progress.
That will be a too awkward situation to slip into for Zimbabwe and two of the most motivated players in the fold, Musona and Machope have promised to give it their all on Friday.
Musona, a two-goal hero in the last game against Namibia last month said Zimbabwe have a spring in their step but they need to retain maximum concentration on Friday.
“I think it was important for the club, the players, the Shamva community, and the club president Simba Ndoro to win the league title.
“It wasn’t easy to win the championship.
“Of course, I scored two goals against Namibia and it was important for the country.
“You know we want to qualify so it was important to score those goals,” said Musona.
“I think we are in a good space right now as we just need a point against Kenya or possibly all the points.
“Everyone is putting in 100 percent at training and the competition is quite healthy.
“No one is guaranteed a jersey in the national team, anything can change.
“To the fans, I can say please back us in this match against Kenya. Those who can come through please do so. It’s not about us the players, it’s about the whole country.”
His teammate Machope who has been recalled into the national team having been overlooked in the last four games echoed the same sentiments.
“I am really happy to have won the league as a team. It was important for us to win the league especially for me given where I am coming from.
“I just want to add value and repay the coach’s faith in me,” Machope said.
“The technical team saw something in me and I am ready to justify their belief in me.
“I believe this is a must-win match for us as a team. We are not looking for a draw but a win against Kenya to be sure.
“If I am called on to play, I will do everything to help the team achieve their targets.”
Online Reporter