Online Reporter
Tongai Mashonga, [email protected]
CUP football has its own brutal arithmetic. Pedigree counts for nothing. Reputation is a luxury you leave at the gate. And on Sunday at Luveve Stadium, second-placed Premiership title chasers Hardrock FC will be reminded of that truth when they face Zifa Southern Region Division One side Jordan FC in the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup Round of 16.
It is the classic David versus Goliath narrative. But in the eyes of Hardrock coach Kelvin Kaindu, there is no David. There is no Goliath. There is only the next 90 minutes.
“We are preparing this game like any other”
Speaking ahead of the tie, Kaindu dismissed any notion of complacency after Hardrock’s narrow 1-0 escape against Central Region Soccer League division one side Kwekwe United in the Round of 32.
“This weekend game against Jordan in the Munhumutapa cup. Of course this is a team from division one. But we are preparing this game like any other game that we are playing,” Kaindu said.
“In cup games there are no small teams. That is why you have seen some of the big teams have already been eliminated. So we are going into this game with all what we have and what we have prepared.”
That Round of 32 result was a lesson etched in the miners’ psyche — that in knockout football, there is no goal difference, only progression or elimination.
“What matters is for you to get to the next round because there’s no goal difference in a cup game. What is important is for you to progress.”
Kaindu refused to buy into the divisional gap. He argued the chasm between PSL and Division One has narrowed to almost nothing.
“Of course there can be a threat. They have got nothing to lose. The expectation from anybody is for them to come out as losers but they come in this game with a pedigree. They have not qualified to this stage with a mistake. I think they deserve to be there,” he said.
“In terms of difference between ourselves and them there isn’t a much difference from a division one and a premier league team. I think the difference is very very minimal if it is even there.”
“Any team that is in a cup game has got the assignment to be called a big team. That is why they have been able to be part of the teams that are participating in this cup game.”
Luveve, familiar hunting ground
Hardrock will be banking on their travelling supporters to turn Luve into a cauldron of green and gold. The venue has been kind to them before.
“We appreciate the support that they have given us and we just hope that they will still come in numbers.
“Last time we went to Bulawayo I think we had a number of our fans that travelled and we just hope that they travel as well on Sunday,” Kaindu said.
“We’ve played at Luveve. We last played against Chicken Inn where we managed to score two goals. So we are quite familiar with the pitch itself and we just hope that we’ll be positive into this game.”
With silverware in sight and a league title race still alive, Kaindu confirmed Hardrock will not be treating this as a rotation exercise.
“We are not rotating any players for the cup game. I think whoever is available for selection will be there, maybe some changes but I think we’ll still maintain our team. It’s quite important for us to progress in the Munhumutapa Cup,” he said.
“This is a silverware with a number of teams remaining and we just hope that we remain consistent.”
For now though, Kaindu is keeping his eyes firmly on today’s game.
“Yeah of course we can talk about the final before we progress.
“Objective is this week we are focusing on Jordan FC before we start talking about other things ahead of us.”
