The ManicaPost
Friday Football Echoes with Gamechanger
ESTEEMED followers of the game of football, thank you for finding time for interaction.
Zimbabwe’s representatives in the CAF competitions, CAPS United and Ngezi Platinum Stars are in familiar territory this weekend when they host the return legs of their first round matches, with everything still to play for as progress to the next stage is at stake.
Madamburo entertain Clube Recreativo Desportivo do Libolo tomorrow (Saturday) at the National Sports Stadium in the Confederation Cup.
MaKepeKepe, Champions League participants, are home to powerhouse TP Mazembe on Sunday at the same venue.
Both Zimbabwean teams carry an away goal cushion from last weekend’s excursions in Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo.
The somewhat sweetener to any away goal is that it may get to count as two for a tiebreaker in the event that the scores end even over the two legs.
Ngezi Platinum Stars lost 2-1 to the Angolans, while CAPS United held the Congolese 1-1.
A place in the second round, whose matches are set for the weekend of April 7, awaits the Chibuku Super Cup winners if they overcome Libolo, while the group stage to be played in the weekend of May 12, beckon for the league champions should they get past TP Mazembe.
But first things first – the local champions have to earn those slots and secure passage to the respective next rounds by clearing this weekend’s hurdles. So, only 90 minutes separate our boys from that feat, which can be accomplished with the right approach and application.
And there should be enough incentive for the two sides to secure progress by qualifying for the next rounds of the competitions.
For Ngezi, it will be another glorious chapter added to the history they are writing of having made it thus far in an African club competition at the first time of asking after winning Zimbabwe’s premier knockout tournament, Chibuku Trophy in their debut top-flight season.
For CAPS, making the groups stage is a lucrative prospect that will reward them handsomely as they stand to pocket half-a-million dollars.
Besides, both, should they qualify, would have also bettered the records of last season’s representatives in the same competitions – Chicken Inn and Harare City – who were knocked out in the preliminary and first round of the Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively.
But it all plays out on the field.
The boys from Mhondoro and their Harare counterparts have to be up for it. That both Libolo and Mazembe have been in these competitions before and done better than both their hosts this weekend should not be an intimidating factor when our boys square up against them.
Just as they managed to grind out results away, so should CAPS and Ngezi kill the home ties off. Just as they managed to score away, so should they outscore their opponents at home.
The going so far has been good for our boys and fancying our chances of progressing would surely not be criminal.
Ngezi Platinum coach Tonderai Ndiraya
Playing purposefully by taking the game to the opponents with good balance in defence and attack can carry the day for our boys and effectively see them putting the contests to bed.
A more commanding show with better defensive discipline and accuracy in attack is, therefore, called for.
Ngezi Platinum Stars, just like CAPS United who have barely been at any faulty at their National Sports home where they have not lost a match in over a year, also have to make their adopted home in this competition a fortress and hardly put a foot wrong.
Such games as the weekend’s are ones that make or define teams and get to eternalise them in local football folklore.
Because we want it more, our boys must go for and grab it.
Come on, CAPS United and Ngezi Platinum; let’s do this, boys!
It’s Game On, Play On!
Feedback:
On behalf of the soccer-loving Mutare community, please help us. We need top-flight football in this evergreen city. Don’t we have the likes of Farai Jere and Prophet Walter Magaya (among us, who can sponsor football teams), to mention just these two? – Edward Mubure, Sakubva.
It shows a lull in continuity by Zifa to procrastinate the appointment of Kallisto Pasuwa’s successor. After all, it was them who terminated his contract; obviously a replacement was needed. Zifa must drag their feet. – Crispen Tendai Masenhu.
This has become the way of doing business for Zifa. It fires coaches based on its failure to pay the coaches their outstanding salaries and allowances and not the soccer results. Zifa knows well that whoever drags them to court is wasting time and money in legal fees. The coaches will get nothing as the messenger of court will not get anything to attach from the association. – Richard Mahuhushe Chauke.
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