Beefy taunts How Mine

Sport
“How Mine, I am not worried about them as I can play them anywhere in the country and I will still get to the final.

Black Rhinos . . .. (0) 0 Harare City . . . . (1) 1

BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

OUTSPOKEN Harare City coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube pulled no punches at How Mine, saying he was praying to the football “gods” to draw the gold miners against his team in the semifinals of the Chibuku Super Cup.

Beefy made these remarks after watching his team cling on to Protasho Kabwe’s first half strike to dump a battling Black Rhinos out of the Cup in a quarterfinal match played at Rufaro Stadium yesterday.

Coaching a team that is arguably the most successful in the tournament after winning the inaugural tournament in 2014 and making another sublime showing this year, Ncube declared that a semifinal date with How Mine would effectively mean Harare City were through to the finals.

“What is important is how you plan for the next game and we also need to seek for divine intervention to get a better team in the semifinal, trying to avoid Yadah FC and CAPS United; [should they make it],” Ncube said.

“How Mine, I am not worried about them as I can play them anywhere in the country and I will still get to the final.

“One thing for sure is it puts me under pressure coaching a team in this tournament that has won it before and reached the final twice and represented Zimbabwe in the CAF Confederations Cup. But I don’t want to be the coach that finishes in the semifinal.”

Kabwe gave the City Fathers the lead halfway through the first half showing predatory instincts by controlling a long ball inside the Rhinos box to beat goalkeeper Herbert Rasawo on the turn.

Rasawo kept Black Rhinos in the game on the stroke of halftime, denying a William Manondo point blank header.

City defender Takudzwa Chimwemwe made an oracle-inspired clearance on the line, heading out Lot Chiwunga’s half volley from a Jameson Mukombwe corner kick early in the second half.

Martin Vengesai had a chance to put the match to bed late on, using his pace to beat the defenders and his rising shot beat the goalkeeper as well as the cross bar.

“We wanted this Cup; everybody, the executive and our supporters, but unfortunately we conceded a silly goal after also wasting a lot of chances. We always cry about not putting away chances,” Black Rhinos coach Stanford Mutizwa said after the match. Teams:

Black Rhinos: T Munditi, T Samanja, H Chapusha (J Tigere 45’), M Vengesai, L Muyambo, R Uchena, E Madhanhanga, W Manondo, T Chimwemwe, G Kufandada (W Muvirimi 40’), P Kabwe (P Mpelele 75’) Harare City: H Rasawo, J Mukombwe, W Chakanyuka, S Jimu, B Homora, B Chandisaita, D Mudadi, F Banda (V Mhandu 78’), C Chitsamba (R Mwenga 57’), B Marere, L Chiwunga