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Paul Mundandi Zvishavane Correspondent
LUKE Masomere has vowed to stop Chicken Inn in a BancABC Sup8r Cup quarter-final match to be played at Mandava Stadium this afternoon.
Motor Action, who play Monomotapa in the other match of the double-header at Gibbo Stadium in Triangle on Sunday, are the holders of the BancABC Sup8r Cup, which they won in 2011.
It is the richest competition in soccer with a purse of $120 000 for the winners.
The prestigious tournament was launched in Harare last week and roars into life this weekend with Chicken Inn hosting Shabanie at Mandava Stadium, Highlanders entertaining FC Platinum (Mucheke) and the other two matches lined up for Gibbo Stadium that will see Motor Action clashing with Monomotapa before defending league champions Dynamos settle matters with Buffaloes.
“Chicken Inn must know that Zvishavane is not their hunting ground. I was saddened to know that Shabanie Mine have never beaten them at Maglas nor FC Platinum. FC Platinum are playing very well and how can they come and draw with them at Mandava and later they also come and beat us in our own backyard.
“Their wins and draws must come to an end and the only best time to stop it is tomorrow afternoon. As an individual I want to be the first coach to hand them their first defeat in Zvishavane because we can’t let them continue their dominance and tomorrow’s match is going to be explosive,” said Masomere.
True to his words since their promotion in 2011 Chicken Inn have left Zvishavane mining town smiling always. They are the team that caused Saul Chaminuka’s sacking from Shabanie Mine as fans ran amok threatening to burn his house if he did not resign. The Gamecocks had beaten the asbestos miners for the second time under Chaminuka who had lost 1-4 to Highlanders the previous weekend.
The team then went on to trouble FC Platinum under Rahman Gumbo and to date FC Platinum have never beaten Chicken Inn. Despite losing one of the most promising young coaches in the country Adam Ndlovu last year, the team came to Mandava and displayed a superb performance that saw them lifting the Net One Charity Shield. It was their first major silverware.
Only last Sunday the team inflicted some pain on Masomere when they beat the miners 2-1 in an explosive encounter. It has just been five days after their victory and today they are meeting again though at a different stadium but the town is still Zvishavane.
“I am preparing just like any other team. Every coach wants positive results and I am doing everything possible to go to the next stage. I will not talk about lifting the cup before I go through to the next stage and I do not know how much they have prepared for us because I can’t speak on their behalf,” said Masomere.
The Gamecocks took control of proceedings last Sunday after the substitution of midfield cog Tafadzwa Mombeshora who is having the game of his life. The good news to the Shabanie Mine fans is that Mombeshora could be in line for selection.
“I am going to have a short training session this morning and it is only then that I will say whether or not he would be in the team. At the moment I am just urging fans to come in numbers to Mandava and have fun. I also want to thank our fans for their unwavering support and respect for the outcome of the game.
“They are not violent as people claim but they are the most passionate and disciplined in the entire world. They know we can lose at home, draw but we can also win away because there is no team guaranteed to win all its matches at home. I respect them and it will be for all to see tomorrow afternoon”, said the much travelled coach.
This is despite the fact that the Shabanie Mine fans have been involved in two violent incidents in the last three months.
Shabanie will bank on the exploits of Fungai Chirinda, Munyaradzi Kunyarimwe, Peter Muzondo, Pervington Zimunya, Valentine Ndaba and goalkeeper Victor Twaliki in a game that also has a cool $300 cash for the man-of-the match.
Chicken Inn as usual will bank on free scoring Tendai Ndoro and Kudakawashe Mahachi who dribbles at will. Zephaniah Ngodzo will back in the famous territory (Mandava) and together with Felix Chindungwe and Brian Juru the trio will use their experience to thwart all efforts by the miners.
Njabulo Nyoni will be expected to guard the posts as usual and continue with his breathtaking saves which left many Shabanie Mine fans shaking their heads in disbelief last weekend.
Chicken Inn coach Mandla Mpofu will probably want to continue with his dominance over the miners. Last Sunday he felt very honoured to have beaten the “Doctor of Football” and it seems he still wants to continue.
“Cup games are very tough but we would love to add the BancABC Sup8r Cup to our cabinet. We need it and playing in Mandava is very good for us because it is our hunting ground,” he said.
The match which will also be beamed live on Supersport Channel 9 while fans will pay $3 for the rest of the ground to watch the action.
Fixtures
Friday: Chicken Inn v Shabanie Mine (Mandava) 3:00pm
Saturday: Highlanders v FC Platinum (Mucheke) 12:30pm
Sunday: Monomotapa v Motor Action (Gibbo) 12:30pm, Dynamos v Buffaloes (Gibbo) 3:00pm
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