…As Saul meets Masomere
By Martin Muleya
Last Sunday’s match emerged an explosive league encounter where Castle Lager Premiership new-boys ZPC Kariba locked horns with Buffaloes.
The match earned Ndombolo a total of $2 294 from gate takings up from the $1598 that was collected in their first home match against Chicken Inn with a record crowd of 750 spectators.
Gwenya ReChamhembe as ZPC Kariba, are known by their fans had Saul Chaminuka as the gaffer and the match in Sakubva stadium marked the return of the shrewd football tactician Saul Chaminuka.
Chaminuka who is now the head coach of ZPC Kariba was shown the exit door last season by Ndombolo executive led by businessman Hlanganiso Matangaidze.
Luke Masomere
While many supporters of the beautiful game came to watch their home team hosting the Kariba boys, the most interesting part of it all was that the return of Chaminuka was coincidental as he met his fellow workmate at Masvingo United and later successor at Shabanie Mine, Luke ‘Vahombe’ Masomere.
The two coaches all concurred that football clubs were going through tough times in terms of monetary incentives but were however motivated by the love of the game.
“We have been friends with Luke Masomere for a long time. That was an area that made our game tricky and interesting especially to soccer lovers in Mutare as I once worked with Buffaloes and our romance ended in unpleasant circumstances,” said Chaminuka.
The match ended at a stalemate and with both coaches lamenting the wasted scoring opportunities by their players.
“We played well as a team but ZPC Kariba had their fair share of the spoils. The first half of the match belonged to Gwenya ReChamhembe but they failed to convert them into goals which happen anyway in football,” said Masomere.
With a little bit of luck Ndombolo should have unsettled Gwenya ReChamhembe in the 8th minute.
The Kariba boys made a flying start holding Caps United to a goalless draw in the first round of the league fixtures beat Dynamos 1-0 before they floored Harare City with a similar margin.
Buffaloes on the other hand had a bad start of the first round of league fixture when they were hammered 1-5 by Hwange at the Colliery, then made a mark in their first home match when they condemned Chicken Inn to a well deserved 2-0 defeat before holding Caps United to a goalless draw at Gwanzura during the Easter holiday.
While the former Shabanie Mine coach lamented that morale in the camp had been at its all time low due to players and coaches who have not yet received their three months salaries and their sign-on fees, this their draw with ZPC Kariba had nothing to do with their performance on the pitch.
“Football is a game; it does not mean when you are playing at home it is guaranteed that you will collect maximum points. We are reorganising ourselves again for our next matches and I must say Moses Gutu has been consistent at the back and adding value to the team,” added Masomere.
It is hoped that gate takings on the Mutare outfit might improve as shown in the match against Gwenya ReChamhembe or they Ndombolo will have to wait for Highlanders’ coming during week nine to make meaningful returns on gate takings again.
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