The ManicaPost
Ray Bande Senior Sports Reporter
MUTARE City Rovers are fast becoming the top flight league weeping boys but their coach Joseph “Shabba” Takaringofa believes there is a bright future ahead and their turning point will be their match against Black Rhinos at Vengere Stadium on Sunday.
This weekend marks 2018 Castle Lager Premiership Matchday 10 and Mutare City Rovers are one of the two teams that have suffered the highest number of defeats on the table together with basement outfit Bulawayo City. Together with fellow municipality owned outfit Bulawayo City FC, Mutare City FC have lost a six times, making them the two teams that have lost the highest number of games in this riveting 2018 top flight league football season.
But matches against Rhinos, Herentals and Yadah, which make up their next three assignments in that order, gives them hope that they will snatch crucial points along the way. A naturally talented player during his time, Takaringofa, who played at the highest level in the country, is still an oasis of hope even after going for eight matches into the season, managing just five points from a possible 27.
City Rovers was never expected to win them all but the rate at which they are dropping points with each passing game leaves neutrals looking forward to yet another gruelling relegation dogfight that might end in yet another hi-and-bye affair with Premiership football.
But their coach Takaringofa remains confident.
“I think we have gone through a rough patch and it is over. We are now heading for better times and that should start with our match against Black Rhinos on Sunday.
“It is no secret that we have been facing the biggest teams in this league in our previous three assignments and we played well as a team albeit not getting the results that we so wanted. However, there is still reason to believe in this project. We still have a lot of hope that things will improve given that we are now facing teams that we can compete with at the same level.
“There are other factors that have seen us lose matches against big teams that go beyond competition on the field of play,” said Takaringpofa.
City Rovers next opponents at home, Black Rhinos are twelfth on the table having played nine matches and amassed as many points after winning twice, settling for draws three times and being beaten in four matches.
