From Paul Mundandi in Zvishavane
LUKE MASOMERE yesterday slammed Hwange’s coaching staff as a highly provocative and talkative group that spends most of the time complaining rather than discussing how to improve their team. Masomere’s Shabanie Mine eliminated the coalminers from the Mbada Diamonds Cup at the first hurdle at Maglas on Sunday.
It was the third defeat for Hwange, at the hands of Shabanie, this season.
Shabanie have now set themselves up for an explosive derby against improving FC Platinum in the quarter-finals of the Mbada Diamonds Cup.
But Masomere wasn’t in the mood to talk about the derby against the revitalised Kugona Kunenge Kudada but took aim at Hwange.
“Hwange are a very talkative lot. Their technical bench is full of staff who complain a lot and that distracts the attention of the players,” said Masomere.
“Instead of barking instructions they want to make noise, arguing with the match officials, and if they were not doing that, I think they could have been winning games.”
Masomere said Hwange were a lucky team and should thank their stars for coming out of Maglas with a narrow defeat.
“They were very fortunate that we were not sharp in front of goal. We could even have scored about seven goals,” said Masomere.
“They must concentrate on playing football on the pitch not to blame referees for their defeats.
“I know them and the best way to beat Hwange is just to frustrate them on the pitch as they can easily lose their concentration and temper.”
The Shabanie coach said after what he saw in their two games against Hwange in the league and cup in the past week, he now believed the coalminers had a huge part to play in the chaos that erupted in the tunnels of the changing rooms before their league tie against Dynamos.
Hwange coach, Nation Dube, claims he was assaulted by three Dynamos marshals but the Harare giants claim he provoked an incident by blocking goalkeeper Washington Arubi from going into the team’s dressing rooms.
The fate of the tie, which DeMbare won 4-2, is now in the hands of an arbitration panel after Hwange appealed against the Zifa Appeals Committee’s decision to uphold the result of the game.
Masomere said he now believed Hwange were also at fault in that incident.
“I do not blame Dynamos Football club for the incident which transpired when they played Hwange,” said Masomere.
“But I think the team invited trouble from the marshals because they make a lot of noise all the time.”
Masomere said he wasn’t in the mood, yet, to talk about the derby against FC Platinum.
“I will not talk about the Mbada Cup quarter final now but whether we play in Bindura, Kwe-Kwe as long as we are in Zimbabwe, I will be very comfortable,” said Masomere.
The game has already attracted huge interest in this town with some Zvishavane fans begging the PSL leadership to have the game played in Mandava, FC Platinum’s home ground.
That will certainly make some sense since Shabanie were at home at Maglas in their first round tie against Hwange while FC Platinum travelled all the way to Kariba for a tie against Harare City.
Holding the game in Zvishavane, possibly at Mandava, will guarantee a full-house of fans.
Taking it away from Zvishavane will certainly not draw the same crowd to the match as the one that could watch the game here.