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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
RONALD Chitiyo, the star of the show in last season’s edition of the Mbada Diamonds Cup, is looking forward to another good run as Monomotapa open their account in the first round of the 2013 tournament against high-flying Harare City at Rufaro on Sunday.
The talented midfielder, who inspired Monomotapa to the finals of the previous tournament, yesterday said their current form in the Premiership which saw them losing out on the seeding when the draws were conducted should not be a big factor when they begin their journey on Sunday.
Despite going into the tournament with records for the fastest goal which he scored after 35 seconds against Hardbody last year and also being the first player to score a hat-trick in the brief history of the tournament, Chitiyo reckons they are starting on a new page.
Monomotapa had an impressive run last year and only faltered at the final hurdle when they lost 2-0 to Dynamos in the final.
“We played well overall last year and we reached the final of this competition. As a general rule we should be aiming to perform to the same standards and even do better than that. The good thing about this tournament is the fact that it is self-motivating,” said Chitiyo.
The diminutive midfielder spearheaded Monomotapa’s campaign in the Mbada Diamonds Cup last year, picking up a number of individual accolades along the way. His efforts did not go unnoticed as he was twice voted man-of-the-match for his outstanding performances in their opening matches of the tournament.
Chitiyo became the first player ever to score a hat-trick in the Mbada Diamonds Cup in the 3-2 win over Hardbody in the first round and was again the driving force in the quarter-finals when they staged a dramatic comeback to eliminate giants Highlanders at the Colliery.
Monomotapa then accounted for FC Platinum in a tightly-contested semi-final tie at Sakubva to book a date against champions Dynamos.
Chitiyo yesterday told The Herald that he is a team player and said there is prestige in winning the Mbada Diamonds Cup, which is the biggest tournament on the domestic scene in terms of sponsorship.
The organisers of the competition have increased the package this year to US$130 000 for the winners in addition to a generous grant to participate in the Caf Confederation Cup.
Monomotapa last year pocketed US$60 000 for making it to the final while Dynamos pocketed US$100 000.
However, Chomakwa Nani have been unable to reach the same heights that won them admirers after losing a number of key player at the beginning of the season.
“It doesn’t promise to be an easy outing. We played well last year but if you check the log table right now you can actually see that Harare City are placed better than us. In essence they are the favourites in this game and we are the clear underdogs. It suits us well but if we can play as a team I am sure we can win that game,” said Chitiyo.
Monomotapa have been operating on a low gear this year and are currently in unfamiliar territory on the log standings as they apparently failed to recover from the blow of losing several key players at the beginning of the season.
Coach Biggie Zuze said they were crippled by the mass exodus which saw them parting ways with players such as Russel Madamombe, goalkeeper Artwell Mukandi, Osbourne Mukuradare, Tendai Ngulube, Tawanda Nyamandwe and Makai Kawashu.
“We are operating under difficult conditions, financially, and the most tragic thing about the transfers of those players was that we didn’t benefit anything as a club. Most of them went for free except for Russel who is on loan at Dynamos. It’s not healthy for any club because you would need to replace with experience at the same level.
“As a club we had our targets to replace those players but because of our financial situation we had to resort to promoting from our junior structures. At first we didn’t want to put them under pressure but now we are in the relegation zone, so it remains to be seen how they respond to the challenge we now face,” said Zuze.
However, Zuze is also looking forward to positive play from his players when they clash with Harare City on Sunday.
Fixtures
Tomorrow: CAPS United v Motor Action (Sakubva), Shabanie Mine v Chicken Inn (Mandava), Black Mambas v Buffaloes (Rimuka)
Sunday: Hwange v FC Platinum (Colliery), Dynamos v Tripple B (Gibbo), How Mine v Black Rhinos (Barbourfields 1pm), Highlanders v Triangle (Barbourfields 3pm), Harare City v Monoz (Rufaro)
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