FC HUNTERS . . . . . . (1) 2
HWANGE . . . . . . . . . 0
A CAMPAIGN initially earmarked for mere top-flight survival could yet end in standard bearing glory for Fc Hunters.
The promoted side comfortably brushed aside giant-slayers Hwange at Wadzanayi Stadium to march into the quarter-finals of the Zifa Munhumutapa Cup.
Sitting 14th in the Premier Soccer League standings with 27 points—a precarious five clear of the drop zone with seven matches remaining—Nesbert Saruchera’s coached side could yet transform a season of potential relegation calamity into an improbable double cup triumph.
Already safely through to the quarter-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup, Hunters, alongside Caps United, remain the sole sides capable of pulling off a historic domestic double after last week’s Chibuku quarterfinal draw pitted fellow double-chasers Scottland and Hardrock against each other in an elimination clash.
Hunters easily sailed into the last eight of the country’s richest knockout competition against a Hwange side arriving with a fearsome reputation, having eliminated Dynamos in the previous round.
Yet the visitors appeared heavily burdened by fatigue following their 900-kilometre cross-country trek from the Colliery to Shamva, offering little resistance against the home side's dominance.
- Inside Sport: Local stadiums in urgent need of attention
- Firm Faith postpones album unveiling
- Bullets ease relegation fears
- FC Platinum move six points clear
Keep Reading
Despite controlling early play and creating a flurry of chances, it took the hosts 43 minutes to engineer a breakthrough. New signing Terrence Dzvukamanja was upended inside the penalty box, allowing captain Ronald Pfumbidzai to step up and confidently dispatch the resulting spot-kick.
Hwange attempted to force their way back into the contest at the start of the second half, but any hopes of a comeback were ruthlessly extinguished in the 58th minute when Munyaradzi Mshanga unleashed a thunderbolt from outside the box that crashed into the back of the net. Hunters retreated into a period of disciplined game management soon after.
Despite sporadic attacks from the visitors, the hosts saw out the match with relative ease, as yesterday's matches failed to produce any upsets as all lower-league sides Blackrock, MWOS Under-19, and Chilli, were all eliminated.
Speaking after the final whistle, Saruchera expressed satisfaction with the victory, even if he felt his team lacked a ruthless edge.
"It was a very good game, and our second goal was a beauty. That was a very good goal from the youngster," Saruchera said. "We dominated play as usual. We created so many chances especially in the first half. We should have scored at least six or seven goals in this match. We were all over them throughout the game."
Reflecting on what the result means for a club balancing a relegation battle with knockout ambition, Saruchera added: "It's good for our young team that we have reached these stages. We want to take each game as it comes and see where it gets us. But we are in a very good space for now."
While silver-tinted glory beckons, the Hunters coach was quick to reaffirm that domestic stability remains the primary goal. "Obviously when you are in a Cup competition, you play to grab it. The good thing is we are not under any pressure in these cup competitions. We are not yet safe in the relegation battle so we need to make sure that we are safe in the league first, then we see what happens in the cup competitions. Survival remains the objective for us, and everything else becomes a bonus. But we will give it a good fight."
Hunters now await the quarter-final draw for the nation's premier knockout tournament, where a $1m prize and a coveted ticket to next season’s Caf Confederation Cup await the ultimate winner.
