Wenslus Murape
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
DYNAMOS will become the first team to win the Chibuku Super Cup twice in a row if they find a way to beat Ngezi Platinum Stars in the final showdown at Rufaro tomorrow.
The tie is a repeat of last year’s final where the Glamour Boys came out 2-0 to the good at Baobab to claim the hon-ours for the first time since the re-introduction of the tournament a decade ago.
And club vice-captain Emmanuel Jalai, who is flying with the stars after he was voted in the league’s Best 11 players on Wednesday wants to put the icing on the cake by claiming the country’s biggest knock-out tournament which also comes with a ticket to the CAF Confederation Cup. While DeMbare, by virtue of winning were still going to play in Africa. Ngezi Platinum Stars also competed in the continental arena when representing the country in the CAF Champions League after winning the 2023 league prize. Both teams failed to fare well with Ngezi Platinum chickening out in the first preliminary and Dynamos in the second knock-out hurdle.
With the championship having already been won by Simba Bhora this season, it means the prospects are totally different going into the final this time around unlike last season when both teams went for the tie knowing fully that they were going to play in Africa.
This time around, one of them will miss out and Jalai isn’t entertaining those thoughts. “A lot is going into this final against Ngezi Platinum. Look, the last time out, we went into that match relaxed and without any pressure whatsoever because we knew we had already qualified to play in the CAF Confederation Cup given that Ngezi Platinum had already sealed the championship.
“We knew even if we were going to lose the game, we were still going to play in Africa so we played without any pressure whatsoever and we managed to win,” said Jalai. “It’s a different ball game altogether now. First and foremost, we believe we have unfinished business in the CAF Confederation Cup. Look at the way we surrendered our first-leg lead over Orapa United of Botswana who then went on to eliminate us in the second preliminary.
“It was disheartening and painful. But we have a chance to come back there and atone for the disappointment. The only way back is by beating Ngezi Platinum in the final on Saturday (tomorrow).
“Besides those continental prospects, we also need to win this one and become the first team to win the Chibuku Super Cup twice in a row. We are Dynamos and we need those records and this is the ideal time for us to do that.”
