By Martin Muleya
Zimbabwe – Pressure for Luke Masomere to deliver positive results in order to win the hearts of Mutare soccer supporters seems to be lessening after their away win against Dynamos last weekend.
The former Shabanie Mine FC coach joined the military men at the beginning of the 2014 with a mammoth task of delivering the goods at the Mbada Diamonds sponsored outfit, which last season survived relegation by the skin of their teeth.
Ndombolo finished the league season sitting on 12th position with 39 points from 30 outings with Black Mambas, Monomotapa, Tripple B and Motor Action being the casualties.
As if that was not enough morale Luke ‘Vahombe’ Masomere joined the Mutare Castle Lager Premiership outfit when the morale was at its all time low due to players and coaches who had not yet received their three months salaries.
Masomere seems to be treading on the journey of reaching the summit of the log table carefully and unlike his predecessor Saul Chaminuka; he has shown as revealed in the first five opening matches that he has equipped his troop with enough arsenal all the way to the end of the league season.
Under the tutelage of Chaminuka, Ndombolo as Buffaloes is known by its supporters were dehorned 0-3 by Highlanders, hammered 0-2 by How Mine. The army team began to be presumed a punching back thereafter with Black Mambas spitting their venom on Ndombolo 2-1, Shabanie Mine beating Buffaloes 3-1 before they hold Chicken Inn to a 2-2 draw.
This led to the Buffaloes team executive led by businessman Hlanganiso Matangaidze extending a three match ultimatum in which Chaminuka was expected to produce seven points. The first match of the ultimatum ended with a 2-0 loss to Triangle.
Out of the three matches, the soft spoken Chaminuka produced a single point leading him being shown the exit door by the Buffaloes executive while his assistant coach Timothy Masachi was elevated as caretaker coach.
Vahombe in his opening match this season had a bad start when his boys were hammered 1-5 by Hwange at the Colliery, held Caps United and ZPC Kariba to a goalless draw respectively before they floored Dynamos 1-0 in Harare last weekend.
Contrary to assertions by Saul Chaminuka, Vahombe’s charges are posting positive results despite not getting any winning allowances whereas during Chaminuka’s era the team literary struggled in the opening games despite the club being handsomely sponsored by Mbada Diamonds Company. Chaminuka claimed that the club executive was interfering with the technical team hence the poor results in the opening matches.
Buffaloes first real test of character will be in Week 8 when they will travel to Chiredzi to play Triangle and will return to square off with Highlanders at Sakubva stadium.
Bosso knocked booted out Buffaloes out of the Mbada Diamonds Cup in a quarter final tie played in Masvingo last year where Highlanders won 3-0.
More drama awaits Masomere in Week 10 in the battle of army teams when Buffaloes travel to Kadoma to battle it out with sister club Black Rhinos. In Week 13, Ndombolo will entertain another defence forces team, Chapungu who bounced back into the top flight league as they will ‘fly’ into Sakubva stadium.
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