adminFrom Paul Mundandi in Zvishavane
SHABANIE Mine’s veteran player Tafadzwa Mombeshora has hit back at FC Platinum and at the same time accepting the underdog tag ahead of their blood-and-thunder BancABC Sup8r Cup final on Saturday at Mandava. “It is very good that we are underdogs but we are going to do the talking in the field of play. The ‘dead’ are going to resurrect and play a match for 90 minutes. There is a big surprise which is going to come from the ‘dead’.
“FC Platinum had a very easy way on their road to the finals yet we played very tough matches against Chicken Inn and champions Dynamos. Our main target still remains to win the match and we are proud because we are a better machine in the sense that we play as a team.
That is our strength because in our team a midfielder, defender, striker and a goalkeeper can score for us,” Mombeshora said.
Midfielder Mombeshora, who was born and bred in the gold rich town of Kadoma, played for Eiffel Wildcats, earning himself the nickname “Lecture” before joining Monomotapa. He later moved to Midlands and played for Lancashire Steel for a season before going back to Harare to join Motor Action.
He still, however, had the love of a mining environment and he later packed his bags to join Shabanie where he has over the years become a vital cog in their machine and he is the asbestos miner’s engine room.
“It is a pity that FC Platinum are boasting that they have four players in the national team and we have none. Last year Dynamos won the league and the Mbada Cup without a single player in the national team. How come with their national team players they are still struggling to win the league or even the Mbada Cup.
“They might boast that they do have stars but they need to be reminded that stars are in heaven and on earth we have players and those who are good enough than us are playing professional football. We are just waiting to meet them in the battlefield and the better soldiers are going to win the war.
“There is going to be blood and tears and we are prepared to ‘shed blood’ for the good of Zvishavane and I am urging our 12th man (the supporters) to come in their large numbers and paint Mandava Stadium maroon and white. They have been cheering us in good and bad times and we still need them to do the same,” Mombeshora said.
Shabanie seem to mean business as from Monday they have been fostering the spirit of unity having lunch together before training sessions.
The most supported team in Zvishavane will be missing the services of Peter Muzondo and Farai Mususunye who are both injured.
Mususunye, the scorer of the winner in the derby between the two rival teams, is in crutches while Muzondo dislocated his shoulder during a friendly match.
Soccer fans in Zvishavane should expect a mouth-watering clash which will see teams from the small mining community fighting for the top honours with US$120 000 at stake for the champions and $50 000 for the runners-up. Mombeshora is hoping to lift the cup and cap a memorable 2013 season.
“In 2001, Shabanie won the BP Cup and were runners-up in the Buddie Cup in 2004 and also in the Ok Woza Trophy and our aim is to repeat the same feat,” he said
Meanwhile, FC Platinum rejected Frankson Bushire, Solomon Ndlovu and Norman Maroto and the three players crossed “the great divide” to join a team they used to call rivals and on Saturday they are the same players who are expected to do wonders on the football pitch.
Fungai Chirinda and Valentine Ndaba have added depth in the Shabani Mine squad. You add former Masvingo player-maker Pervington Zimunya, Simbarashe Gate, Caleb Masocha and Tarisai Rukanda, then you have players who can hassle and tussle the opposition with the towering Daniel Veremu, Thabani Kamusoko and the Moyo twins Kelvin and Elvis.
Masomere was, meanwhile, denied entry to the council owned stadium yesterday by the stadium security guards who feared that “he wanted to plant juju”.
The outspoken coach was in the company of the Housing Director for Zvishavane Town Council Nhlanhla Ngwenya who wanted to inform the security guards that Shabanie was going to train at Mandava Stadium this afternoon.
Online Reporter