leeroy mupariri
Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
THE next few weeks will be crucial for league and cup double chasers Simba Bhora, who face a potentially explosive Chibuku Super Cup semi-final clash against Ngezi Platinum Stars at Baobab this Saturday.
Simba Bhora have surprised even themselves with how they have gone about their business on the field in only their second year in the elite league.
The ambitious Shamva-side are chasing history following a fairy-tale season in which they have placed themselves as odds-on favourites to win the Castle Lager Premiership title for the first time.
They are also among the four teams remaining in the country’s premier knock-out Chibuku Super Cup where they face last year’s finalists and 2016 winners Ngezi.
The other semi-final will feature holders Dynamos against unpredictable Manica Diamonds at Rufaro on Sunday.
Both Dynamos and Manica Diamonds are out to ensure they end the season with some silverware after falling out of the reckoning for the league championship title.
And it is only the Chibuku Super Cup that provides them with that platform for redemption and with it comes the possibility to play in the CAF Confederation Cup.
But for Simba Bhora, they will go into the assignment against Ngezi with so much to reflect on in order to improve their game after they were stunned 0-1 by Herentals in their last league match.
Before that game, they had stitched together an impressive 13-match unbeaten run, spanning close to four months.
The defeat left coach Tonderai Ndiraya and his charges a bit rattled ahead of the Chibuku Super Cup this weekend.
“We need to pick up ourselves and do much better,” Ndiraya said.
“But I must also give credit to the team for going 12 matches unbeaten and then we lost after 12 matches (sic). So, we must not also forget what these boys had done in the past 12 games.
“We knew that one day we would lose and I guess this is the day.
“But what is important for us now is to pick ourselves up quickly and focus on the next assignment, which is the Chibuku Super Cup semi-finals.
“Then after that, we can talk about other things,” said Ndiraya.
Simba Bhora progressed to the last four after they were awarded the quarter-final match against Highlanders, which was abandoned in controversial circumstances at Wadzanai.
Ngezi on the other hand, were full value for their money when they knocked out giants CAPS United following a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory at Baobab.
However, Simba Bhora are still fancying their chances for a maiden silverware. They still hold the aces in the virtually two-horse Castle Lager Premiership title race with FC Platinum despite suffering a setback when losing a league match to Herentals at Rufaro last Saturday.
Simba Bhora still needs six points from the remaining four games of the season to wrap up a maiden league title.
However, they need to keep on their toes, especially after the marathon took an interesting twist last weekend as FC Platinum thrashed Yadah 3-0 to close in on them.
Four-time league champions FC Platinum slashed the gap between the two sides to just six points with four rounds of play remaining, including a potential decider between the two sides in the penultimate round of the campaign.
“I think I have said repeatedly that it’s not over yet,” said Ndiraya.
Simba Bhora have 60 points and the nearest rival FC Platinum are on 54, with just four rounds of play remaining.
“We still have a very good cushion, if you ask me. But that cushion can be maintained if we can pick ourselves up and compete well in our next matches so that we get back to our winning ways.
“It’s not an easy game that is coming up (in the league competition); it’s a tough game against CAPS United. But, like I have said, we will only focus on that after another tough match coming up this weekend against Ngezi Platinum Stars in the Chibuku Super Cup semi-finals.
“This is where the focus is now. We need to pick ourselves up quickly and show that we can do much better and cross the line.”
