The ManicaPost
Moffat Mungazi Sports Correspondent
HAVING helped How Mine secure a place in the Chibuku Super Cup final, Mutare-born midfielder Pascal Manhanga is eager to have his team complete the job by winning the trophy and get rewarded with something to show for their exertions this season after falling short of challenging for the championship. The Bulawayo gold miners recently overcame Shabanie Mine 3-1 in the second semi-final at Babourfields and Manhanga provided the assist for brace hero Tinashe Makanda’s first score and the hosts’ second goal of the game.
How Mine will now battle with Harare City in the final of Zimbabwe’s richest cup competition on a date yet to be advised. Now, Manhanga is only 90 minutes away from a glorious conclusion to a frustrating season whose league form has been fluctuating that a podium finish with a Chibuku winner’s medal would be sufficient and necessary solace.
“It is gratifying to be playing in this cup final and we are geared to clinch the gold. After realising that the championship was floating beyond our grasp, the Chibuku Super Cup then came in handy and we decided to shift focus to winning that competition.
We have worked hard to come this far in this tournament and our goal is to help the club win its first major prize. As such, we are glad to be within striking range of achieving that.
“Another good thing is that this year has been positive and better. On the whole, we have improved because we can still finish higher than position nine of last season, have advanced to a prestigious final and are also in good stead of sweetening our campaign with a piece of silverware.
Our target when we started the league marathon was to finish in the top five, which we can still achieve; but winning this cup final will absolutely make up for whatever shortcomings we had along the way,” said the Sakubva-bred former Chisamba Primary and Mutare Boys’ High pupil midget midfielder.
The pint-sized ex-Mutare United and Tsholotsho player highlighted that earning a ticket to participate in the Caf Confederation Cup that comes with winning the league’s premier knockout competition is enough motivation to incentivise them in their quest to challenge for honours and enjoy a fruitful season, adding that they are acutely aware of the enormity of the task at hand.
This is How Mine’s first major final since gaining promotion into the elite league in 2012. But for Manhanga and expatriate coach Kelvin Kaindu it will be their second cup climax appearance as a pair in the same team, having lost another previous final. The duo was beaten finalists in the TM Pick and Pay Challenge Cup – losing to eternal rivals Dynamos on that occasion during their time at Highlanders in 2014, with the talented player having joined Bosso mid-season.
The former Warriors player has, however, enjoyed his best football under the Zambian tactician. 2014 also saw him getting a call-up and first caps to do duty for the senior men’s national team as he made the team that participated in the Chan tournament hosted by South Africa earlier in the year.
Manhanga and Kaindu would be together again for their year-long stay at Triangle in 2015 after having left Bosso at the close of the previous season. The two are in their second year at the Bulawayo gold miners. Sixth-placed How Mine are out of contention for the league title, which has narrowed down to a four-team race between FC Platinum, Dynamos, Ngezi Platinum Stars and Chicken Inn.
